Changes for the Better
by MakesMeZingy
Summary: When Mikan Sakura experiences unfaithful events in her past, she is thrown into a life of resentment, reticence, and regret. What will happen when she meets certain people that miraculously change her life for the better? Or for worse, even?
1. Chapter 1

My first fanfiction...I was inspired. Don't be too harsh on me, okay? And about those **disclaimer** thingies, yeah, i don't own Gakuen Alice.

Chapter 1;

_Life is better than death, I believe, if only because it is less boring and because it has fresh peaches in it_.

_-T.M._

It was an October evening, and a well-known brunette with brilliant hazel eyes was currently in the bathroom looking herself over and over in the mirror. It was not like she was conceited or anything. In fact, she was far from arrogant. It was just this particular day that her older stepsister had begged so-called father to make the brown-haired beauty go to a dating show with her. How could _Daddy_ possibly resist his little, blood-related angel of a daughter?

"Mikan Loser Sakura! You took the lip gloss I bought yesterday, didn't you?!" a certain orange-haired girl screamed.

Mikan sighed. _When would life get better? _She thought to herself. "You idiot, it's still in the _other_ purse you used yesterday to go on that date of yours!" Mikan exclaimed, due to the fact that they were in separate rooms from each other.

There was a moment of shuffling then the scurrying of a few pairs of feet, probably one of Luna's robot of a friend. Mikan already knew the reason her sister's friends would always kiss up to Luna, and do anything, and this was literal: She was the most popular girl in school, and by she, Mikan definitely did not mean herself.

Along with her goddess-like body, and clear, pretty face, Luna also had a boyfriend. Scratch that, the god of the school. Seriously! Luna's boyfriend, by the name of Nakatsu Tashiya, was one of the most popular _boys_ in school. Girls described him as sexy and hot, and probably wouldn't mind kissing his feet. That is, every girl but Mikan. The thought of being in the same bed as him wanted to make her puke and sent shivers down her body. People would expect sixteen-year-olds to be more mature when talking about the opposite sex, but Mikan was different. For some reason, she abhorred men, maybe because of her stepfather's treatment of her in the past, or a certain prank Luna pulled on her when they were mere ten-year-olds.

FLASHBACK~

It was summer, and three children were playing by the pond in Central Park. Water was being splashed and two excited girls were screaming.

"Stop! This is so disgusting!" yelled a very irate little girl, her hands on her hips and her feet tapping rhythmically.

"Chill, Luna, it's just water," answered a certain bubbly girl with silky, brown hair that curled naturally at the bottom.

"Just water!? News flash, Mikan, it's water from the pond—a place where animals bathe slash eat slash drink slash go number two! That's not all; you got mud on my new pink blouse!" Luna answered, her voice getting an octave higher with every word. By then, Luna's face had become as red as a ripe tomato, and the person who had been quiet during the argument between the two blabbering girls had finally mustered up the courage to make a sound. And let me tell you, what a big mistake he made.

"What are you laughing at, four eyes?" said Luna, in a rather mocking tone.

Four eyes straightened his back and cleared his throat. It was clear that he could not retort back to the nickname he had just been dubbed. This person was no other than Yuu Tobita.

"At least he has brains and knows his abc's by now," Mikan stated, trying to ease the embarrassment Luna had placed upon poor Yuu.

Luna scoffed. "For your information, I do know my adc's, so don't go defending him with such a weak reply."

Mikan rolled her eyes while Yuu tried to stifle another giggle. "I'm going to go for a walk, let you," she pointed her index finger at Luna, "cool down a bit. I need some time to think; I think I don't know _my _a_d_c's."

Luna stuck her tongue out and made a face before she turned to the cowering Yuu. By now, Mikan had already skipped to the far end of the meadow. She had left Yuu with a smile plastered on her lovely face, in which Yuu had thankfully returned back. But with his shield gone, he had no one to turn to, and Luna was already only a few inches away.

"Listen. We'll be entering middle school soon and I know you're not one of the toughest guys around. I have a proposal for you; if you don't want me to make your life miserable, I suggest you don't hang out with my cow of a sister. She's all talk no walk, eh? Hang with her and people will always bully you," Luna paused to analyze the reaction of her victim. Success; he was shaking and sweating like a donkey. Whether it was from fear, nervousness, or just the heat of the afternoon sun, we don't know. Crossing her arms, stepping closer to Yuu, and causing him to fall over, Luna continued her ranting.

"Here's what I want you to do. When Mikan comes back from her lil' walk, I want you to diss her when she tries to defend you. I'm sure we'll get into another argument. It might not sound very efficient just to diss her, but trust me, she'll fall apart. She can be tough with people she doesn't like but when it comes to her best buddies, she will go down." Luna smirked at her plan and to say that she would enjoy the look on Mikan's face would be an understatement. She would freakin' cherish it. Oh how these two sisters hated each other.

Yuu was terrified. He knew perfectly well that Luna was capable of turning the whole school against someone, but to threaten with it was plain malicious. Mikan was one of Yuu's best and only friends. He knelt on the ground, both palms on the ground, and tried to hold his agony in. Luna was impatiently waiting for Yuu's reply when suddenly she saw Mikan from afar, marching back carelessly.

"So? What is it going to be? Her friendship or my pain? You better say what I expect you to because you do not want to see Luna Koizumi mad." Her statement was bland.

"Um…o-okay," Yuu answered, feeling weak. He promised himself he was going to find a way to fix this after it was all over.

"Hi, boys!" Mikan chirped cheerily. Luna gave a stern glare and was about to utter a comeback when Yuu exploded, "You are the most annoying girl I have ever met! Go away insolent piece of shiet. At least Luna has class, but you? You can't do anything!! No wonder no one likes you." Yuu had squeaked the last sentence and he was feeling nauseated.

Luna and Mikan were awestruck. Suddenly, the ground under Mikan's feet was trembling. Mikan wondered why the other two looked so balanced; she felt like falling over. Yuu was her friend since they were both six, two years before her real mother died. She was usually a strong girl, but she could feel tears forming in her eyes, threatening to spill over. Before Yuu could say anymore, she screamed from frustration and anger, and yelled at the top of her lungs, "You have never swore before and you choose now to, and to me?! I can't believe you would say that after the things I have done for you!"

Mikan ran full speed out of the meadow and out of the park, blinded by her tears to know where she was going. She had so many emotions going through her right now, but the strongest emotion, the emotion she had only felt once in her life, was the feeling of regret.

~END FLASHBACK

Mikan sighed once again, her breath fogging up the bathroom mirror attached to the wall. She loathed boys and now, she was forced to go on some dating show to find a…a… a boyfriend!? Worst of all, Luna had made Mikan dress in clothes that were not prissy at all. She wore a strapless red mini dress, reaching a little under her mid thighs and black high heels, probably two inches. She quickly put on her white coat, knowing it would be cold since it was winter. Being Saturday, both girls knew their father would not be home until nine pm, so Mikan stuffed her keys in the left pocket of her coat. When she came out of the bathroom, she found Luna and some girls she recognized as Anna Umenomiya and Nonoko Ogasawara. They both exchanged gentle smiles, and Mikan couldn't help but smile back. Even though they hung out with Luna, both girls were really nice to Mikan.

"You're just going to wear what I told you to and a jacket? Aren't you going to bother putting on some makeup or anything?" questioned Luna.

"You never said anything about having to." Although Mikan had never used any makeup before, except occasionally putting on lip gloss or eyeliner, she looked flawless. Her skin had a glow to it that made it look both smooth and complex. Even Luna had to admit, through envy, that she was beautiful. Whenever she smiled, her pearly, white teeth would show and her giggle sounded somewhat musical and delighting. She was not tall, but not short. The dress she was wearing showed how nice her curves were and how lustrous her legs were.

It was true that Luna was a beauty but when compared to Mikan, she could not compare. No matter how much makeup she put on, or surgery she would go through, Mikan would always outshine her. The only reason Luna was the most popular girl in school was because Mikan hid herself from people and wore the most unappealing clothes that covered her angelic face. Her hair was typical except for the light curls at the bottom that made it stand out from others. Ever since the incident with Yuu when they were young, she became more reticent with people who tried to approach or befriend her. Anna and Nonoko knew how pretty Mikan was due to the fact that they always came over to her house, but never admitted anything to Mikan because of Luna and her power. Until now.

"Mikan, you look stunning," said Anna, in a shy, quavering voice.

Mikan noticed the death glare Luna had sent the pink-haired girl, so without missing a beat, she replied, "All of you look rather dashing, too. I like your pink mini skirt, Luna."

Thankful for having the attention diverted to Luna, Anna sighed gratefully and gave a nod to Mikan. Nonoko, noticing what Mikan had just done, tried to cover her light laughter over how dense Luna was.

"Let's go." With a snap of Luna's fingers, all four girls including herself were out the door and into Luna's purple buggy.

"Punch buggy purple!" Mikan squealed and punched Luna in the arm. Hard.

"Ow! You did that on purpose!" shouted Luna.

"It's not my fault you bought a buggy. I would have done it to anyone. Just as hard."

"Sure, that's believable."

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

"What crap have you dragged us into now, Kitsuneme," said a young man with raven-colored hair.

"Don't hassle me. The place I'm bringing you guys to is_ awesome,_" Kitsuneme chuckled nervously, running a hand through his messy light brown hair.

In the backseat of the car, a certain blonde quirked his eyebrow, for he did not know where his friend was leading him to either. The male seated to the left of the blonde snickered loudly, and just shook his head.

"Do you know something about this?" asked the male seated in the passenger seat in the front, his ruby red eyes shifting towards the back.

"Hahaha. I promised not to tell. What I can tell you, though, is that I will enjoy seeing your shocked faces."

"Are you saying this place is something you won't be shocked about?" accused the blonde.

"Course not, Ruka. It's just the shock is drained out of me. I was there when the proposal was made."

"Holy, is Kitsuneme getting married?" suggested the raven-haired man. Although it was a question, his voice showed no emotion. "You went and got drunk then did it with someone on the street, huh? Ever heard of cervix cancer? How old are you, sixteen, right? That girl you fucked with better had been old enough or she could sue your dirty ass."

The two in the backseat failed to hold their laughter.

"No, I'm not getting married. You know me better than that; I only sleep with girls that have—"

"We get it, Kitsuneme; you can stop your explanation before it gets out of hand."

"Awh, Ruka can't handle these mature conversations."

"Shut up Koko."

"Stop arguing, you guys are giving me a migraine. We're almost there."

As Kitsuneme turned the corner on Larlox avenue, he hummed while fidgeting with his tie.

"What are you doing?" asked Natsume, a serious expression on his face.

"You know what? Who needs a tie, it was choking me anyway."

"I still don't get why you made us wear suits, though."

"It was required, ahaha."

"What? Repeat that, Koko," Ruka and Natsume replied in unison.

The car suddenly lurched to a stop, and all four boys turned to look at their destination.

"I need a new car. This Mitsubishi makes really bad brakes."

"Kitsuneme…_Lovers Studio?!" _

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

After twenty minutes in the car, listening to Luna and the other two sing girlie songs, Mikan just had to get out of the car. It was a relief when the buggy pulled to a stop, and Mikan twirled herself out of the car. In short seconds, Mikan found herself staring at a big, neon sign that read _Lovers Studio._ The other three girls screamed with excitement, thinking about the boys that would appear on the show with them. Mikan wanted to run away and hide in a box.

MIKAN's P.O.V.

What. The. Fudge. That has to be the crappiest name I have ever heard. _Lovers Studio!?_ Luna has the worst ideas ever. If she wants a guy, why can't she just wait for a guy to come screw her himself? I'm sure there'd be plenty of them waiting in line. EW, disgusting just thinking about it!!

"Aye, quit daydreaming about the boys that will be on the show and come on already. We're going inside."

I was glad I had my back to the rest of the girls because my face was scrunched up into a look of disgust and my hands were balled into fists, turning paler by the second. I took a couple more seconds to straighten myself out then turned towards the door and headed in.

A man wearing a pink biretta, and matching pink collared shirt with shorts and leggings came to greet us at the front entrance. He wore brown boots. All of us girls looked at him in shock and amusement.

"You four must be here starring in today's show! Welcome, I'll get some workers to set you up soon. Please call me Narumi-sensei. I've always wanted to be a teacher, you know. You guys must be Anna, Nonoko, Luna, and Mikan," he answered with a smile. Surprisingly, he had given the correct names to the correct persons, indicating with his right pinky finger, a clipboard in his other hand. His blonde hair almost shielded his gleeful eyes.

Before I could ask her question, Luna blurted out, "Are you gay or something?"

I was bewildered. What kind of question is that? All I was going to ask was why he was wearing a biretta when cardinals or priests wore them or something. How rude… I huffed at my sister, who was enjoying the awaiting response from Narumi-sensei.

"Ahaha. No, actually. The producers ask for us to wear something pink every day, and I guess I just got into it. I'm not gay; I like women." He winked at the girls' direction. Luna rolled her eyes while Nonoko and Anna chortled sheepishly. I just gave a doubtful smile. I could not find myself hating the man before her.

Narumi made room for us and we shuffled into a small room where two ladies were standing, each wearing matching pink uniforms and black high heels. Their brown hair was tied into a loose ponytail, each holding two masks in their hands. They looked over to Narumi-sensei and nodded.

"Good evening, ladies. We are here to help you get ready for the show. We will need you to put this on each of your wonderful faces."

They handed us a mask, obviously the color pink with purple outlining. I put mine on, glad that no one would see my face, until one of the ladies continued speaking.

"In the beginning of the show, we will pair you up random with the four guys yet to arrive. When you have approached said partner, he will take your mask off, revealing the face beneath. Then we'll get into other rounds and explain later on, but for now, please follow us to answer some questions."

Great. Just when I thought I could hide under a mask away from those unfaithful human beings, I have to let one of them take the mask off my face? Urgh. I followed the ladies into another door on the right side of the small room and entered another small room, with a giant wooden table, and four comfortable black leather chairs.

"Each of you. Take a seat. We will be asking you some questions for the show. When we have finished with you, exit this room and open the double doors in the front of the room we were in at first. It should not be hard to miss. It has a big sign saying, 'PRODUCTION ROOM'."

Inside the other double doors was even gayer. The color pink was everywhere and plastic hearts were hanging all over the spacious room. In the front of the room was a large stage with four chair-tables on each side. In the center of the room were theatre seats for the…audience. Oh, shit! The audience! I completely forgot; I can't do this, I have stage-fright! I quickly scurried over to where Luna was standing.

"Luna!" I whispered-yelled.

"What?" Luna gave an exasperated sigh of annoyance.

"I can't do this, I have stage-fright." I told her.

"So do half of the world's stars," she replied monotonously, like it was the most obvious comment known to man.

I wasn't going to admit that I was scared unlike the famous people who went up to stages and performed their hearts out like it was nothing big. Instead, I did some breathing exercises, but that only made me realize that my legs were shaking and my teeth were chattering…and it was not even cold! There was a freakin' heater on, for crying out loud! I tried to think happy thoughts, happy thoughts, and it almost worked until I heard Luna's ear-piercing screech from the left. Sigh, I turned around to see what the commotion was about and my eyes landed on the most intense pair of eyes I have ever seen. They were crimson colored, and seemed almost enigmatic.

It was a good thing I had the mask on; for some odd reason, I was blushing, turning scarlet by the second. At first I thought he knew I was staring at him, because he was staring straight back, so I turned my head, ashamed. Then I realized that the mask covered the direction of my eyes, so I mentally slapped myself for being exceptionally slow. Trying to ignore my blunt reactions, I strained to hear what Luna, Anna, and Nonoko were talking about. With a quick glance at the gentleman with with luminous, crimson eyes, I walked closer to the other three gals.

"…I know, isn't he?"

"Hi, what are you guys talking about?"

"Don't you think those four boys are hot!?" Luna looked jubilant and for a second, I forgot that we hated each other—it actually felt like we could have been friends. Making a note of that, I quickly replied before she thought I was sluggish.

"Um, yeah…" I had forgotten that I did not really like boys much, so my response was meaningless. Luna had snorted at my reply, so I decided to let them talk amongst themselves while I listened.

"Okay, so which one you think looks the sexiest?" Nonoko interrogated.

"The raven-haired one. His hair and skin looks so damn perfect and smooth," said Luna, with hearts creeping about her eyes.

"What about the blonde one? His eyes are blue and it looks like it could almost sparkle!" suggested Anna.

After a few minutes of hearing them talk about the four boys in the far corner of the studio, I got bored of listening to them, so I decided to dissect those four boys myself.

There were four of them, as I have mentioned. They all looked about the same age as me, maybe older or younger. One of them was the most mentioned of Luna's discussion and the one I was captured by. Not that I think he is interesting, just those eyes are…awesome! He had lustrous black hair, piercing red eyes (as I have said for the umpteenth time), perfectly tanned skin, luscious body……………..Oh my gosh! What am I thinking?! Luscious body? I was practically drooling! Of course I don't think that! Although he does have a great body, those muscles that look balanced on his arms and such. He probably had less than ten percent of body fat! Who cares though; looks aren't everything. He wore a black suit with a red tie hidden beneath his tux. He had a scowl plastered on his face yet he still looked divine. I guess he did not favor the tuxedo requirement, nor did the other three, who were wearing the same outfit, except each tie matched their own eye color.

The next person was the blonde one. He had a great body too, but Boy #1 looked fitter. He had tantalizing blue eyes, but again, #1's was more superb. I had seen glimpses of his smiles and laugh and it sounded heavenly, to tell you the truth. I wonder if everyone sounded like that, but I thought of Luna and abruptly changed my mind. I had not seen #1 laugh yet and it has been quite a while now. Then again, I didn't laugh yet either.

The next person had messy brown hair, but he still looked appealing. His face was compressed into a goofy grin, his eyes squeezed shut. He seemed taller than the others, but his face portrayed him as the youngest. For some reason, he was not wearing a tie. The last guy looked exactly like guy #3, with the exception of slightly darker hair and his eyes were actually open. He did not have on a goofy face, but he was smiling the whole time I sneaked glances at him through my hair. I sensed a friendly aura illuminating from him. His eyes were kind of like navy blue, maybe darker; it was hard to see with my mask on. Getting a bit anxious to get the show over with, I closed my eyes and took a seat in one of the unoccupied chairs.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

"Ahaha, Kitsuneme is the stupidest guy on Earth."

"Do you ever take things seriously?" Kitsuneme growled.

"Not when there's no reason to." Koko poked Kitsuneme in the gut.

"I can't believe you made a bet with Mochu. Even worse, you lost!"

"I told you Ruka, he was a shitty dirtbag. I wouldn't have lost if he didn't put the burping powder in my drink. I drank twelve bottles of beer for nothing. I hate that " Kitsuneme replied indignantly. (A/N: yes, he's aware that he's underage, but you know men.)

"Where'd he get the burping powder?"

"I don't know. He said he ordered it from somewhere. He also said they sold other things like something called a baka gun. Shoots idiots."

"I'd like one of those. There're a couple of idiots I want to shoot right now," Natsume stated icily, speaking up for the first time after an outburst outside the studio. Natsume hated being given attention and now millions of people watching television would see him.

"Hey buddy, you're not talking about me right? I mean, I know Koko's done wrong, but I had a reason! I was…tricked! Used! Deceived!"

"Don't drag me into this, goof."

"To tell you the truth, I'm more pissed at those girls staring at me right now than of you dragging me into this."

All three boys had not been paying attention to the girls who were now giving them winks and blowing kisses toward them. All except one. Natsume eyed the one standing in the far corner, looking a little delicate. It seemed like she was made of porcelain and would break any moment. He continued to stare at her with an unbreakable gaze until she turned around. Natsume turned around warily and cracked his neck.

"How long do we have to wait; this shit is killing me. I was on the verge of finishing a very good manga."

"Just be patient, Natsume. Since you're bored, why don't you tell us which one you think is most interesting to you?" asked Kitsuneme, trying to decrease the tension in the air.

Natsume waved his hand, signaling a change in question. He closed his eyes and rubbed his temples.

"Come on, I dare you to walk over there and talk to them," Koko laughed and nudged Natsume to move forward, pushing him to the direction of the three girls. Inside, he felt disgusted by the girls who thought that he would be coming over to talk to them. He snuck a glance at the brunette, who was now sitting on a chair, seeming isolated from everyone else.

Natsume abruptly stood his ground, letting Koko push him no further. Kitsuneme and Ruka chuckled, aware that Koko was not strong enough to move Natsume even though he was strong.

Suddenly there was a loud beep that stopped all noise. After a few seconds of hesitation, a speaker from above crackled and a familiar voice shouted, "Okay my pretties! We have five minutes until show time! Please get into your assigned seats, which are numbered right on the table. I will be greeting you soon. Just follow further instructions, but until then, let the show begin!"

"It's the gay from that met us at the door," Natsume spat acidly. "Come on, let's get this over with," and with that, all eight teenagers walked towards the stage.

**END**.

Review!


	2. Chapter 2

I already worked on chapter 2, so I guess I'll post it (:

Chapter 2;

_Just when I think I have learned the way to live, life changes._

_-H.P._

"People!We are missing two more contestants! Where are they?!" a frantic Narumi asked restively.

Just when he was about to call for the show to begin without them, two very elegant persons walked swiftly through the closed entrance door. All heads turned towards the direction of the following _slam!_ as the metal doors clicked shut. The eight teenagers, who were seated in their assigned places turned to see what the silence that had engulfed them was about. Everyone noticed how stunning the two were, all except Natsume Hyuuga, who was busy fiddling with the pin that read three on his shirt, and Mikan, who was once again, deep in her thoughts.

Feeling the urge to break the silence, Narumi sighed dramatically with relief and walked over to the two missing contestants.

"Thank goodness you have finally arrived!" Narumi clasped his hands together and gave a big smile to the two people in front of him. "You must be Saito Yoshida, and you are Sumire Shouda, am i correct ?"

The two lean figures nodded. They seemed to have come together, but paid no attention of each other. Curious of this, Narumi asked, "Did you two come together, perhaps?"

As if they had rehearsed it, both replied, "No," at almost the same time. What was surprising, though, was that Sumire lightened up tremendously. All eyes once again turned to see where she was headed and rolled their eyes when they figured her motive: talk to Natsume Hyuuga.

"Hey, you," she whispered into Natsume's ear, twirling her black curls of hair. Natsume grunted in reply, finally noticing the quiet commotion made because of the two people. Sumire gasped in disappointment; normally, guys wouldn't mind talking to her because she was very attractive. Her light, piercing green eyes contrasted with her dark, smooth hair. She had a small, slender figure, but inside was a fierce, powerful psyche.

She huffed, crossed her arms over her chest, and stalked away after mumbling a few words to herself. She scanned the other side of the stage, looking at the four other girls.

SUMIRE'S P.O.V.

Not fair. That guy has to be gay. I mean, who wouldn't want _me? _

I quickly walked to the other side of the room, my heels clicking rhythmically against the wooden floorboards. I then decided to slow my pace to check if the other four girls were going to be as pretty as me or just some dorky weirdo trying to get a boyfriend. As I was slowing down, I heard laughter from behind and my curiosity perking up, turned my head to see what the commotion was about.

Some brown-haired loser was pointing at me and smiling widely to the direction of my rejecter. How dare he? Laughing at Sumire Shouda?! The effin' nerve! I decided to turn my tracks around and teach him a lesson with my wide vocabulary of colorful words, but a sudden beep was heard, so I quickly ran towards my seat, careful not to trip.

"30 seconds!"

"Contestants, get into your seats! We're about to begin for real! No more delays!" sang the giddy Narumi.

I'll get him, I thought to myself, eyeing the brown haired male, who was still smiling. I was glaring at him with so much feeling that my eyes started to hurt, and decided to focus on who I would get paired up with. Let's see. I'm number one, so my match is…darn, I can't see. I guess I'll have to wait.

END OF SUMIRE'S P.O.V.

"Hello Ladies and Gentlemen and welcome to today's show of _Lover's Studio_! I am sure that many of you have been here before and know how we usually start, but we will still explain how we will be organizing our show.

"Our quest is to get all five pairs together. However, sometimes the paired couples do not work out so well, whether because of the dislike in personality or physical features. Fate will determine our lovebirds today! Now, my lovely co-host, Serina, will be giving the instructions to our stunning contestants." concluded Narumi-sensei. All eight teenagers were a little confused, but turned their attention to Ms. Serina to listen to their first task. By now, Mikan had noticed the new additions on the stage. She racked her brain but did not remember them from anywhere.

"In order for the show to begin, we will need the eight contestants to find their assigned partner. Afterwards, after seated in their positions, they will be introducing themselves and telling us their talent and personalities."

All eight contestants got out of their seats and walked towards the back part of the stage, which had been covered by a dark red curtain at first. They looked at their numbers and found their positions.

The pairings are as follows:

1) Kokoro Yome-Sumire Shouda

2) Kitsuneme-Nonoko Ogasawara

3) Natsume Hyuuga-Luna Koizumi

4) Anna Umenomiya-Ruka Nogi

5) Mikan Sakura-Saito Yoshida

NATSUME'S P.O.V.

I'm paired with Miss slut-faced-drama-queen? Worse, I have to sit next to her? This show has the worse organization skills ever. Why would they make the seats we sat in at first if we were going to sit in these other ones for the rest of the show?

When I got to my seat, I tried to scoot my chair away from my partner as far as possible, but I realized that I was acting like a complete idiot due to the fact that the seats were attached to the floor. She kept staring at me and batting her eyelashes. I gave an icy glare and turned to face the audience. They were so annoying; all the while I was staring at the random blur of faces, cameras were clicking and lights were flashing. I just moved back here and already I dislike this place. Japan is worst than America right now!

"Now that everyone has found their buddies, we will begin the acquaintance phase. Starting off with pair number one, and going down the row, please tell us a bit about yourselves." Serina finished off by handing the microphone to the pesky girl who tried to talk to me. She stood up and gave what was supposed to be a dazzling smile.

"Hi, my name is Sumire Shouda." She paused, giving a giggle when someone wolf-whistled. _She_ sure knew how to act lady-like. "My favorite color is green, I enjoy playing the violin, and I am sixteen-years old." She ended with a bow and handed it to her partner, Koko. Aggressively. In reply, Koko just gave an amused smile; the dork. Before standing up, he gave a friendly wink to Perm, who in return scowled.

"The name's Kokoro Yome, but my friends call me Koko. I am sixteen-years-old, I like playing soccer, chillin' with my buds, and I would like to major in Aviation when I attend college." He gave a goofy grin, and sat back down.

"Well, it looks like Kokoro Yome there is already thinking about college! Sumire, you have one responsible partner there!" Narumi complimented. He sounded gay when he said that.

"She's not so bad herself, although I would prefer guitars over violins." He pointed his thumb, indicating that he was talking about Perm.

"I, for one, dislike the sound of guitars, and I hate airplanes. I am not impressed at all." With a final 'humph', she averted her attention from the grinning Koko. Obviously he was very amused.

"My name is Kitsuneme. I also like playing soccer, I'm seventeen-years-old, and harassing my brother is what I do best. I hope you're watching this, Mochu!" He pretended to punch something, and gave a warm laugh before handing the microphone to his partner.

"Hello, I'm Nonoko Ogasawara and I'm really interested in science. I am sixteen-years-old and I hope to find a cure for cancer one day." She gave a polite nod and handed the mic down. Approving nods were made after the mention of cancer. Some even shouted, "You go, girl!"

This is getting so aggravating. If they don't get on with phase two, I'll just do it myself.

"Natsume Hyuuga. Seventeen. I like to read manga and play football and soccer. Break-dancing's okay." I made my speech concise and gave the mic to ugly next to me. She held onto my hand and I had to wrench her damn fingers away from me. Her giggle was supposed to sound seductive, but in my ears, she sounded like a tone-deaf horse.

"Hey, everyone! My name is Luna Koizumi, and I enjoy dancing and hanging out. My favorite color is pink and I hope to find a good boyfriend." She looked at me and gave the crowd a toothy smile. I clenched my jaw, try hard to hold the puke that threatened to come out of my mouth.

"Um...my name is Anna Umenomiya, and I love to cook. I hope to own my own restaurant one day. I am sixteen-years-old," She flipped her wavy, pink hair back and handed the mic to her partner. I thought about Luna's comment about liking the color pink and found that it was not as attractive at all to me.

"My name is Ruka Nogi. Um, I love animals and hope to become a veterinarian for them some day. I also like to swim." Ruka gave a nervous smile and girls started to scream. Although he showed no sign of it, I knew Ruka well enough to know that he was peeved by that. He handed the mic down to a hesitating girl, the one that seemed so isolated from everyone else. She seemed unwilling to take the microphone like it was some kind of pestilence, and even I could see that she was turning red. Being the gentleman he was, Ruka whispered something only for her ears and she took the microphone with a small smile and stood up.

"My name is Mikan Sakura. I like to sing and I am sixteen-years-old. Everyone seems so sure about themselves, but I don't really have a set future." She turned a darker shade of red when more cameras clicked. It looked to me like she was stage fright. She handed the mic shakily to her partner and sat back down.

"Yo, my name is Saito Yoshida, and I am seventeen-years-old. I like to play football and school is not my forte." He gave a wide smile and girls screamed louder, although not as loud as they screamed for me, which was kind of annoying. Every time I walked by a group of girls, they'd yell and scream the most disgusting things ever. Why couldn't I be good-looking inconspicuously sometimes?

"Now that everyone is introduced, we will begin with phase two." After hearing Narumi say that, I could not help but mutter a "finally" under my breath. The ugly duckling thought it was hilarious and just about laughed her ass off. I can't wait until this is over; I'm sure as heck that I will reject my partner.

END OF NATSUME'S P.O.V.

"All five partners will be given the same two tasks to complete and the judges will rate them based on how well they work together and the feelings they show toward each other. For example, hate, comfort, et cetera." Serina gestured toward the judges, who gave small waves and smiles. There were three judges total—one female, two males. "The score will be out of fifty."

"Listen carefully for the instructions." Narumi cleared his throat before continuing. "The task you must complete first is very traditional: all male contestants will be carrying their female companion! Whoever holds onto his partner the longest will receive the most points, of course, but their feelings will be counted too."

Some groans and whoops were heard from both genders, and Kitsuneme shouted loudly, "What if we have a fat partner?" which absolutely broke Nonoko's calm temperament, and a few seconds later, a painful cry escaped Kitsuneme's lips as he covered his tender spot. Mikan, snapping out of her uneasy state, broke out in fits of laughter for the first time in days, figuring out what Nonoko had done to the loud-mouthed Kitsuneme. Soon, Nonoko and Anna joined in, and even Sumire gave a knowing smile. Luna just rolled her eyes, although no one could see her because of the mask, and leaned towards Natsume, who had not been paying attention to her at all. In fact, his attention was directed particularly to the girl three seats away. For some reason, Natsume felt confused; he sensed an unpredictable aura around Mikan Sakura. She had the power to make other smile genuinely, unless of course, they were clouded with envy for the amazing figure. He squinted his eyes; he had finally found someone ineresting.

"Well, what has secretly occurred among the contestants? You guys sure look energized!" exclaimed Narumi, who was now moving his head around, as if that would help him realized what the commotion was about. "Ready to begin?"

When no one replied, he took that as a yes, and asked the contestants to go to the center of the stage. Koko was smiling about what had happened at first while Sumire was pushing him toward the center of the stage, shaking her head disapprovingly, although a hint of amusement could be seen. Nonoko was sending Kitsuneme a death glare that told you who would be wearing the pants in their relationship; that is, if they ever were to be in one. Luna clung to Natsume's arm but a hiss from Natsume caused her to falter and step back. Ruka and Anna were walking slowly, but they showed no feelings that they were into each other, and last were Mikan and Saito. Being the shy girl that she was Mikan were a few steps behind, but when Saito offered his hand, she could do nothing but accept. The crowd and judges were impressed by his gentlemanness (you know what i mean ;D), and everybody knew that he would get points for that. Mocking Saito's actions, the goofy boys of the group, offered their hand to the girls they were paired with. Nonoko gave a firm "hmph" and walked away from Kitsuneme's silly act. Sumire, although not as mad at Koko as before, still rejected his hand, giving a condescending grin and strutting away.

Anna, being the second shyest besides Mikan, desperately wished for Ruka to offer his hand, for she had a small crush on him at the time, but seeing that he wouldn't, stopped looking clingy, and speed-walked to the rest of the destination.

Luna, however, was not disappointed at Natsume's lack of pretend affection, but rather unperturbed. She always found a way to get her way, so she thought of him as a little challenge that would soon be over. "Hold me tighter," Luna whispered as she clung onto his arm forcefully.

"I wasn't even holding on to you in the first place," he said without emotion, and shook her away from his touch. The crowd was shocked; they understood that Nonoko and Sumire's actions were nearing a joking and playful manner, but Natsume was obviously fed up by Luna. Some of the youthful teenage boys were surprised because if they were given what they thought was a pretty girl under that mask, they would have wanted her hold on them. The girls fainted, thinking Natsume's actions were sexy and appealing. Luna was impressed by the total control of his words and temperament, while Natsume was totally irritated. Judges would surely be marking points off for couple number three.

"Okay! When we give you the signal, boys, hold onto your lady friends, and girls, just hope they don't drop you! In addition, there is no specific rule about how to carry your partner, whether it be bridal style or a piggyback, so carry the way that is easiest for you," Narumi gave a wide smile and with his fingers, counted to five in descending order. "And, go!"

Each boy lifted their partner up and Sumire gave a squeak when Koko flipped her upper body over his shoulder, holding onto her legs. All the others chose to carry their partners bridal style.

"He said whichever way suits us the best."

"You idiot! This has to be the worst possible way to carry a girl!" Sumire was somewhat embarrassed because her behind was facing the audience. Sumire said in a low whisper that could only be heard by Koko's ears, "Put me down. I would rather lose points than to have people taking pictures of my ass. You pervert…"

Koko whispered back, "What are you talking about? Your green skirt is covering your bum, and I'm not going to put you down. I like to win—it's my motto. By the way, I'm not a pervert; it's not like I'm looking at your legs or anything near that right now."

"If you don't put me down, I'm going to make you," and with that, Sumire pinched his butt. Surprised, Koko let go of her, but the weight of her fall caused him to tip over too and before long, both were sprawled onto the floor. Sumire was flushed with anger, her curls bouncing violently. She got up and dusted off her clothes, ready to kick Koko in the face, but the stuttering crowd caught her attention. She did not want to embarrass herself any further, but suddenly Koko burst out laughing, along with the rest of the boys on stage.

"Why are you laughing? You should be embarrassed about the fall." Sumire rubbed her temples, frustrated that Koko was laughing at a lifetime of humiliation.

"I'm not laughing because of the fall. I'm laughing because of that, seaweed hair," and he pointed down the row. Sumire turned her head and found herself staring wide-eyed at an unbelievable sight. Apparently, they were not the first ones to lose. Natsume and Luna were in a big mess before them that no one probably saw what happened to her and Koko. Luna was on the floor, rubbing the side of her thigh. Natsume, cool as he was, looked extremely unaffected and detached, his hands in his trouser pockets. He never wavered, his eyes connected to the same place.

Sumire sighed in relief; the cameras were probably all facing the first shocking incident. Slowly coming back to focus, Sumire played the shocking scene over in her head, then remembered the atrocious name she was dubbed.

"Seaweed hair?!" yelled Sumire. She balled up her fists, ready to punch him, but before she could, Koko ran into the crowd.

"Sissy!" Sumire screamed as she ran to catch up to him.

"Haha. At least my hair is not formed abnormally!" People could tell the two were having fun. Some commented enviously, "They look like a real couple already!" and others, "I wish my man could make me that energetic (this was said by girls and a few gays)!"

"All right you two. Get back on stage now. There are still three couples still standing," Serina instructed.

Koko walked away from Sumire as she got closer, and mouthed, "Your presence makes me turn to stone," and snickered amusedly. Sumire stuck her tongue out childishly and mouthed back, "Then don't mess with me," and walked back to the stage. Koko was ecstatic; he had never met a girl like her before. He felt so relaxed and carefree around her. _I'm never going to stop messing with you. The only reason you make me turn to stone is because you're too beautiful, I don't know _what_ to do to keep you from leaving my side, _he thought to himself, keeping a straight face as he said it. Koko suddenly realized he would die if he never talked to her again.

When Sumire saw his straight face (only she and Koko's buddies noticed), she rolled her eyes and stepped on his foot. "I was kidding, idiot."

Koko snapped into existence, and his goofy state resumed. "I wasn't thinking about _that_."

MIKAN'S P.O.V.

Wow. They look so great together. I wish I could find a man like that. Just then, Saito shifted his hold on her, making her snap back to reality. She had been thinking about the perfect man, and one was holding her right now. What was missing, though, was that Mikan felt no spark, no click, exactly nothing with him.

"Um, I'm sorry I'm kind of heavy," I blushed furiously, embarrassed of the possible thoughts on his mind.

"You're not heavy, pretty light actually. Of all the girls I've dated, you're probably the smallest." Noticing my uneasiness, Saito added, "Cutest, too." He gave me a little wink and I smiled in return. Time ticked by and I realized Anna and I were the only ones left. Luna had been dropped, which was kind of amusing. Finally she gets to feel how it is like to be hurt in front of a crowd, a taste of her own dirty medicine. No one seemed to notice, but Sumire and Koko fell—I just don't know why. Sumire didn't appear heavy. Nonoko got out when Kitsuneme sneezed on her, which caused her to flick her arms up reflexively and the scene ended with them toppled on top of each other. How romantic, in a way!

I was getting a little uncomfortable. Other girls may like an attractive guy carrying them, but I did not favor having them touch me when I barely knew them at all. I could see he did not want to lose, though. I just don't get it. In the end, we, the contestants, decide if we want to be together or not, so why try so hard here? Finally, Saito seemed a little tired, so he put me down.

"And the winner of this round is pair number four!" Narumi yelled. "It's a new record! Twenty-four minutes and fourteen seconds!" The audience applauded the winner. Serina gestured for us to sit back down, ready to begin the next round. I was absolutely loathing all the unneeded attention given; right now, I actually wanted to crawl in a hole, and I have _never_ been so low on self-esteem. Can a person really be this shy? Enlighten me because I think I am the shyest girl on earth. Weirdest, too--I'm talking to myself, for crying out loud! The loud speaker drowned out my pointless thoughts; I had a bad habit of holding on to something tightly when nervous, and right now, I was wrinkling my dress.

"We will be taking a short break. Coming up next will be Round 2 and the scores of our contestants," Narumi announced, and I sighed in relief when they called for commercials. This was going to be a memorable night; I can't say it will be one of my favourites, though.

END OF MIKAN'S P.O.V.

Review!


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own Gakuen Alice.

Chapter 3;

_Real difficulties can be overcome, it is only the imaginary ones that are unconquerable._

_-T.N.V._

(This will all be in Mikan's P.O.V.)

"The scores have been counted, ladies and gentlemen, and the couple with the highest score is," Narumi-sensei paused for suspense, which I thought was unnecessary, and shouted into the microphone the names I did not wish to hear. "Mikan Sakura and Saito Yoshida, with twenty-four out of twenty-five possible points!"

Saito gave a smug grin, as if he expected us to be the highest. I started to wonder if I was the reason for missing a point; I had been very doubtful towards Saito, but he seemed trustful, so maybe I should participate in this with a better attitude.

"The next highest score go to Sumire Shouda and Kokoro Yome, and Anna Umenomiya with Ruka Nogi. Both couples scored twenty-three points," Serina explained. "Nonoko Ogasawara and Kitsuneme have twenty-two points, and last, Luna and Natsume have nineteen points."

I was not surprised that the man named Natsume had the lowest score. He seemed reluctant, as if it was not his choice to be on this show, as was I.

"Round two will be based on your participation and effort. The task you must accomplish is to walk from the back of the stage to the front. There is a twist, though. Your ankles will be tied to your partner's corresponding ones. (Need me to draw a picture for you? =).) We will give two scores: one for the amount of time you take to get to the "X" marked on the front of stage, and the other for how well you cooperate." Narumi stated. "The first group to start will be Sumire and Kokoro."

I saw Sumire roll her eyes as Kokoro shouted optimistically and pasted a goofy grin onto his friendly face. I could definitely see rapport between them. I felt my heart ache; I would never feel certainty like they did.

A few seconds passed as they tied their ankles together. I still wondered why we had our masks on – it was beginning to feel uncomfortable.

"You can begin…now!" Serina set on the timer on the extended screen that stretched toward the audience, the seconds ticking by nervously.

Koko seemed as though he was enjoying this contrary to Sumire's concentrated face.

"Relax, won't you?" Koko suggested, seeing the look of focus in her eyes.

"Don't you want to get a high score?"

"It would be nice, but looking like you need to use the restroom won't help either of us."

"I just want to score high."

"Are you saying you like me?"

"When did I say that?"

"You implied it."

"You're an idiot."

Watching the two of them banter was enjoyable. They seemed serene. It would have been like a peaceful dream if it weren't for the commotion and chatter in the crowd and the look of determination in Sumire's cat-like eyes.

"Right foot, left foot,…Koko! I said right foot!"

"I know! That's what I did!"

"You should know that when I say my right, it's not actually your right because you're not facing my direction, making your right my left and my right your left!"

I saw Koko's friend sigh dramatically. Haha.

After thirty-three seconds and some tripping, they finally made it to the "X".

They untied the ropes around their ankles, once again, arguing. They seemed like an old couple.

"Don't stick your butt out!"

"Well, how am I supposed to untie us?"

"I'll do it," Sumire explained and she bent down and untied it. Her flexibility seemed effortless.

"Wow, what have you been doing?"

"I did a little gymnastics when I was a kid, but I stopped." She shrugged her shoulders.

Koko whistled. "What else can you do? A split? Stand on your hands?"

Sumire nodded arrogantly as they walked back to their seats.

"Next up are Nonoko and Kitsuneme."

Nonoko and Kitsuneme got up from their seats and walked over to the starting point. Kitsuneme tied the ropes to one ankle while Nonoko tied the other. They waited for Narumi to call begin.

"Start!"

I observed their movements, and tried to stifle a giggle. They looked somewhat wobbly and unbalanced. Nonoko looked frustrated and Kitsuneme looked like he was trying to get some control.

"Let me lead," Kitsuneme commanded.

"No."

"You're not doing a very good job right now."

"I don't think you would be able to do any better."

"Let me prove you wrong." Kitsuneme halted his stance, pulling Nonoko with him. Being stubborn, she crossed her arms and waited until five seconds ticked by until she gave in.

"Foine."

Kitsuneme gave a triumphant grin and began to direct their movement.

"I'll move my left leg and you move your right, and so on. Understand?"

"Yes."

They started hesitatingly, but once they became more familiar, their pace became more steady.

In thirty-six seconds, they were done.

"Good job, you two! A lot of team work there!" Narumi pointed out. Nonoko seemed to soften up towards Kitsuneme – perhaps this round will bring the couples closer together, but I doubt that Natsume guy will loosen up.

"Next up, we have Natsume and Luna."

With a big sigh, Natsume proceeded to the starting point with Luna by his side. She was very clingy. Once their ankles were tied, and the timer was ticking, you would expect that they start walking, but Natsume just stood there, with Luna looking annoyed yet interested. It was easy to tell what she was thinking by her facial expression. Somewhere between the lines, _'the longer we take, the closer I get to be this close with you, honey.'_

Natsume looked a little pale. It was hard to tell why, but it was probably his lack of passion for Luna. He didn't look like the pale color you get when you're are sick, but the one you get when you're angry. Suddenly, with a jerk, he pulled Luna towards the "X" mark, following no specific pattern noticeable. He did not do it clumsily, but forcefully. In thirty seconds, they were at the ending point. He took off the ropes and sat back down, a little annoyed by the silly games we had to do. I saw Sumire looking adoringly at him, just like all the other girls who turned their heads toward his. Girls were weird. How can they like such a rude person! I shook my head disappointingly. Saito grunted at the loss of his fans. I could see that that Natsume guy was absolutely magnificent when talking about his looks, but once his attitude was revealed, fantasies about him would plummet. For me, at least.

"Okay, that was very interesting. Judges, be sure to note that." Serina remarked. "Next, Anna and Ruka."

Anna stood up unwillingly, her white, spaghetti-strapped dress moving with her as she walked gently to the starting point. She smoothed out her dress, and bit her thumb. How cute, I guess. She was wearing flat shoes, the color matching her dress. Ruka tied on the ropes, and waited for the signal to start. He ran his hand through his head full of dark-blond hair. I just noticed he and Anna had the same eye color.

"Begin."

I could hear Ruka leading; they went at a reasonable pace. I was shaking. After them would be my turn. I didn't want to go up, but I told myself to try my best. Couple number 4 finished in thirty-two seconds. Anna was blushing slightly and Ruka just gave an encouraging nod. I sensed he was uncomfortable, as if he did not want to be in a relationship yet.

"Next up are Mikan and Saito."

I took a deep breath and let Saito lead me to the beginning. He tied the ropes securely on our ankles. It felt rather itchy. I waited for Narumi to call begin, urging my heart to slow down its irregular pace.

"You may begin!"

Saito whispered which legs to lift, all the while whispering soothing words to try to calm my nervous state. It helped somewhat, but I still felt that he was too close to me. I didn't like it much. After thirty seconds, we were done. I waited for Saito to take off the ropes then speed-walked back to my seat. I tucked a stray strand of hair behind my left ear. I could feel the heat burning in me, slowly evaporating as Serina conferred with the judges about our score.

Everyone waited patiently except Sumire, who seemed eager to hear how her performance went. With nothing to do, I looked down at my fingers, rough from all the work I had done around the house, a list of chores assigned to me every day after I arrived home from school. People who have seen my hands had said they were slender, but I could only see the memories of toil. A click of heels caught my attention as I saw Serina handing Narumi the results.

"The scores have been decided! Tied with the highest score of twenty-four points are Group 4 and 5! The second highest score is Group 1, with twenty-three points. Group 2 have twenty-two points and Group 3 has seventeen points. Added with the previous scores, the results are as followed." Narumi gestured to the screen that used to hold time.

Group 1- 46 points

Group 2- 44 points

Group 3-36 points

Group 4-47 points

Group 5-48 points

"It looks like Group 5 is in the lead, but the scores are close! We'll take a short break for now, so don't go anywhere!" Narumi cheered.

Yes, our ten minute break has come. I watched the cameramen call for commercials and the crowd disperse into animated chatter. I let my eyes linger across the spacious room, unsure of what to do with the time I had been anticipating for so long.

Everyone seemed to know what to do. Sumire had walked over to Natsume, Kitsuneme, and Ruka with Koko. She was obviously happy about it. If I didn't have issues with people, I would have been excited to walk over to such attractive people, too. Anna, Nonoko, and Luna were engrossed in their own conversation. I could see they were talking about the boys. There were a few times Nonoko would walk over to Kitsuneme, who was teasing her about walking like a clumsy donkey, but Luna held her back from going to his side. Jealousy does many things, even to so-called friends.

Saito was busy talking to a group of girls from the crowd. No one was as observant as me – I could see Saito was trying to keep them from going over to the other boys. I was starting to think of him as conceited. Trust gone.

With a loud sigh and seven minutes left, I headed to the restrooms. No one seemed to notice my quiet exit. I squinted at the sudden brightness of the ceiling lights when I opened the door. I took the mask off with relief and rubbed my tired eyes. I checked my cell phone – it was 8:56 P.M. I looked at my reflection in the mirror, and reminisced about the past. When mom was still alive, she used to always tell me never to lose that certain sparkle in my chocolate-colored eyes. I told her I would never, but I guess promises _are_ made to be broken. I told her I would smile one-hundred times a day, and I broke that promise, too.

My eyelashes fluttered when I realized someone had just entered the restroom. I was so deep in thought I had not noticed. It was Sumire. She was redoing her makeup. The mask was left dangling on her left arm while she applied a powder to her cheeks. It gave me a chance to notice how dazzling her green eyes were.

I turned away as her gaze landed on me. My face felt hot contrary to the air conditioner in the cool room. I leaned on the counter, my hands supporting my weight, and tried to look as if I was busy with something. From my peripheral vision, I could see she was analyzing me. Trying to calm myself down, I turned on the faucet and started washing my hands. That was a big mistake since I had to pass Sumire to get to the paper towels.

I thought over the options I had. My best choice would be to walk out the room without drying my hands, but Sumire did something unexpected. As I was imagining all the different scenarios, I felt something papery touch my fingertips.

"You looked like you needed a paper towel," a pert voice stated.

I looked up, startled from my thoughts. The first thing my eyes landed on was Sumire's hair. I didn't notice how unusually springy it was. Without thinking, my mouth let out a word that was meant only for my own thoughts.

"Permy," I replied bluntly, still eyeing her hair. I had an urge to pull it to see if it would spring back and forth.

Sumire's face scrunched up in disbelief, and threw the paper towel ever so slightly at my face. I had clearly caught her off guard.

"You should really think before you say something or you're not going to have many friends," she answered, turning her back towards mine.

Just as she was about to open the door and leave, I burst in to laughter. How ironic – the last thing I would want to do was to actually make friends.

"Are you mental or something? I know a good therapist and I could hook you up because you look like you need one."

I smiled at her assumption; she thought I was laughing at her hair.

"It's not that, Permy. Your hair looks awesome. I was just thinking about your remark."

"My name is Sumire Shouda, a highly respected citizen, and what about my remark?"

"Nothing, it's just very…" I searched for the right word, so I wouldn't have to explain my behavior thoroughly. "True."

She gave me a quizzical look, then started to walk out the door. I followed, with four minutes left until show time.

"Wait, Permy."

"Stop calling me that unappealing name!"

"But Permy – "

She stopped her tracks and turned around, glaring hazardously in my direction.

"Where did all that friendly energy you had with Koko go?"

She blinked, and raised one finger.

"How can I be friendly to someone who doesn't even call me by my name? And that wasn't friendly energy. It was just fake energy to get the most points. I'm a…little competitive."

"Sorry, Perms." I covered my mouth. "Sorry again! It's just very suitable for you."

She sighed. "You're not normal."

I smiled. Somehow, the remarks she made were very funny to me. She had such an incredible aura. I wondered if I could trust her, to let her be my friend, so I could have a shoulder to cry on, or a pal to spill all my secrets to, although Permy looked like the kind of girl who would rather talk about themselves.

"Let's start over. I have a hard time making friends." I stretched my hand out towards her. She looked at it as if I had visible germs.

"Will you stop calling me that ugly name?"

"Nope."

She shook her head and extended her arm. I shook it happily. Maybe I _could_ make a few friends.

"Your name is Mikan Sakura...?"

"Yes."

"Since we have exactly two minutes, let's get to know each other."

We walked back to the stage then sat down in the seats with my couple number. I figured Saito would be busy with his fans. I learned that Permy's hair was naturally springy, but she didn't let me touch it. I took the chance and told her about me. I told her about my parents and Luna, and why I didn't go by the same last name: Luna and "Dad" didn't want me dirtying the Koizumi name and I agreed. I wanted to stick with Sakura. It gave me independence and pride. The only time I was referred to as Mikan Koizumi was at school.

Narumi signaled that break was over and for us to get back to our assigned seats. Just as Permy was about to walk back over, Saito stopped in front of her and started talking in what was supposed to be a hypnotizing voice. It did not work on me nor did it work on Permy. She pushed him aside and walked over to her seat. When she sat down, leaving Saito grumbly, she mouthed to me to reject him when it was time to make a decision. Knowing her experience with men, I figured it was a good idea. I still had trouble dealing with people's advice, though. Should I trust her judgment? I pushed that to the far corner of my mind and focused on Round 3.

"All right, everyone! Welcome back to _Lovers Studio_. Now, Round 3, the moment you have all been anticipating for has finally come! This is the last round of today's show!"

I cheered happily in my mind, careful to not draw any attention.

"This round has something to do with talents. If you were paying attention in the beginning, you would know what your partner is interested in."

My heart's pace quickened. I had not been paying attention to what Saito was saying, let alone anyone. I tried unsuccessfully to remember what happened, but as seconds ticked by, I only got more nervous. I tried to calm myself with the fact that Round 3 might not be what I was thinking about, and surprisingly, it worked. My palms no longer felt sweaty after I took a few deep breaths. I was ready for Round 3.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4;  
_Concentrate all your thoughts at the task at hand. The sun's rays do not burn until brought to a focus.  
-A.G.B._

"Round 3 will be based on your talents," Narumi explained, his eyes directed to the audience. "If each person had truly paid attention, they would know what to assign his or her partner to do."

All of the contestants replied with a quizzical look. Serina responded by explaining the statement further.

"Yes, everybody. Round 3's task will be chosen by the contestants, and not by us."

Mikan's heart quickened. So much for my thoughts being wrong, she thought to herself. Mikan scanned Saito's tall and toned figure. Her face scrunched up into disappointment; she had no idea what to tell him to do.

"We will give you three minutes to think to yourselves--obviously, you must not consult with your partners. Do not worry if you feel that your partner is unable to accomplish the task you will give them because we will be providing them the necessary tools."

MIKAN'S P.O.V.  
Everyone seemed ready; Saito flashed me a quick grin, and suddenly a horrid thought occurred to me: I had informed everyone that I loved to sing, which meant Saito would no doubt tell me to. My face turned as white as a bed sheet, and I could not help but shake. I did not want to face the thought of singing in front of a crowd of strangers. I tried pushing the thought aside and focused on finding an appropriate task for Saito. I remembered something said about soccer and football, but I could not remember which one it was that Saito liked. I decided to go with my best guess and decided on football.

"Okay! It is now time to write down your results! Please look to the side of your table-chairs and remove the mini whiteboard. Write down your partner's task on it and put it facedown until I give you further instructions," Serina concluded.

I wondered how Saito would be able to demonstrate his football skills. I was not a huge fan of sports, but I was pretty sure they needed a lot of space.

"You may lift up your whiteboards now," commanded Serina.

I scanned everyone else's whiteboards and was shocked when Saito put me not for singing, but for something I was sure I never mentioned: being a back-up dancer. I was not embarrassed for his incorrect assumption, but for the inappropriate picture he drew next to his choice. It was supposed to be me in a very revealing outfit. I was relieved when Narumi told him to erase to hideous picture. By now, probably everyone had seen it and my red, red face.

"You must all be anxious to perform, but we are sorry to say you do not need to. This was all done to see if you know your partner well. It seems as though almost everyone knows their partner and has been paying attention." Serina whispered something to one of the judges and cleared her throat to continue. "Fortunately, if you would like to show us any of your talents, we would gladly accept. Performing will give you more points."

Narumi cut in after, asking if anyone wanted to perform. I saw Permy's hand shoot up, and she was invited to the center of the stage.

"Mr. Yome has written that you play the violin. It is correct, so is that the talent you wish to show us or would you like to show another?" asked Serina.

"I would like to stick with Koko's choice."

A moment later, one of the workers handed Permy a neatly polished violin, and she began to play, by memory, a melodious song. All lights dimmed, and the spotlight was all hers. A few minutes passed and she was finally done. Everyone applauded and gave her a standing ovation. I felt ecstatic because I was her friend. From the corner of my eye, I saw Luna roll her eyes, but I knew inside that she was envious.

"That was very beautiful," Narumi mentioned. "Very well-done, Sumire. Does anyone else wish to go?"

Luna's hand flew up and she waved it above her head as she stood up to approach the center of the stage. Before the hosts could mention that her partner had given a wrong answer, she told them she would be dancing. Once again the spotlight was given to the performer, a lemon-yellow light shining from the ceiling. Luna started off slow, but quickened her movements. Soon, a suitable beat was turned on, and Luna twirled and followed the tune. Although some moves had gone a little to far, I had to admit that she was a good dancer. Claps were heard from the crowd, and Luna could not help but blow kisses and wave.

"Give it up for Luna, everyone." said Narumi. "Are there any more who wish to perform?"

Because of Saito's behavior earlier, he was banned from performing. After a moment of waiting, Serina and Narumi announced that it would be time to total the points. After a few tense minutes, Narumi and Serina walked back up to the stage and Narumi shouted into the microphone, "Please divert your attention to the screen up there. It looks like the couples with the most points are Group 4 and 1! The second couples with the highest scores are Group 2 and 5! Give a round of applause for these lovely people on stage, and I don't just mean me!" Narumi laughed as if he told the funniest joke ever, but everyone else just sighed at his failing attempt. "Keep in mind that the total possible points are out of sixty."

Group 1- 58 points

Group 2- 55 points

Group 3- 52 points

Group 4- 58 points

Group 5- 55 points

I caught Saito glaring at the winning couples, and could not help but think he was too competitive for his own good.

"Now, although the scores may either discourage or encourage you, your decision to stay a couple will be based on your feelings. All three rounds were used to test your compatibility and to get to know each other. We will give you a few minutes to think this over and call the couples up chronologically by group number," Serina announced.

My decision was already set. I had never really wanted a boyfriend anyway. I was somewhat disappointed that my group was last, which got me thinking why the studio called us "groups" when we were only two people. I started thinking about sappy things Narumi might say such as, "You are only two, but your heart screams of the eternal souls of love." I smiled at how accurate my assumption was, and caught Natsume staring at me, but that soon turned into a glare when he caught me looking. I was dumbstruck momentarily at the wrong I might have done, but soon returned the glare with equal disgust.

"All right, it's time to--," but before Serina could finish her sentence, a scream emitted from the opposite side of the stage. Luna had stood up and was now seething with anger. I did not notice what was going on until she started shaking her head furiously. Her hair was on fire! I panicked, pressure preventing me from thinking clearly. Usually, I would have enjoyed the sight, but I was on television, and she was, afterall, my step-sisiter. Hurriedly, I jumped out of my seat, running for the table where the snacks were held, but something strong grasped my wrist, causing me to turn around.

"What are you doing?" I asked, staring at Saito with confusion.

"What's the rush? Enjoy the show. That's definitely going to be talked about for more than a week! This is sure going to erase everyone's memory of the picture I drew of you," he said, laughing hysterically at the crazed Luna, who was now hitting her head with her purse.

I wrenched my hand from his wrist and took out the pepperspray from my purse. Saito was busy laughing, so when I sprayed him with it, he screamed and covered his eyes. "Laugh at that!" I yelled at him, then proceeded to the snack table to get a bottle of water. When I arrived back on stage, Narumi, Serina, Anna, and Nonoko surrounded the crying Luna, too distracted to know what to do. I pushed them aside, then opened the bottled water, and poured it on Luna's burning head. She screamed louder, her makeup running down her face. Everyone laughed at the incident that happened before them, and I felt suffocated and anxious to get out of there. It did not matter that the show was no longer over, I knew my decision, so I ran out as fast as I could without my heels snapping.

**END.**

Do you think I'm exaggerating some of the character's personalities? For instance, Koko and Yuu? LOL, I'm sorry. Please tell me if I'm doing too much.

To **crimsonMoonlight20**: There will be couples. ;D At least, I'll try. Thanks for taking your time and reviewing!

Review!


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5;

_And we find at the end of a perfect day, The soul of a friend we've made._

_-C.J.B_

Starbucks and Gakuen Alice...too keewl to be mine._  
_

**Mikan's P.O.V.**

"Hey! Where are you going?" the all-too-familiar voice of Permy called from behind.

"Where else is there to go? Home." I replied, unsure of where to walk since my only ride was still probably crying her head off. I sighed, and stopped my tracks, Permy almost bumping into me.

"Why'd you run out just then? You should be proud of saving a life."

I snorted. "Well, I didn't really save a life—just some hair that you could put a wig over anyway."

Permy gasped. "Are you kidding me? Do you know how important their hair is to a girl?"

I didn't say anything back because the only reason I had said hair was not important was because I didn't like not having the last word. Unfortunately, it doesn't always go my way. I should really think about what to say before actually voicing it.

We had been standing outside the studio for quite some time when I finally decided to break the tension.

"Permy, I see that you and Koko have a pretty strong connection. I know you want to go in there to see what's going on. Don't let me stop you."

Permy squinted her eyes at me. "You said you were going home, but you don't have a car. How are you going to do it? You better not hitch a ride because there are some insane psychos out there that can do who-knows-what to you."

I was stumped. What was I supposed to say to that? I had planned on turning my back on her and making a dramatic exit, but she got to me before I could.

I decided to go with a safe option. Slowly, I walked back to Permy and put my hands on her shoulders, and asked pleadingly, "Permy, will you please give me a ride then?

"Okay, but before we leave, we're going in."

I put my hands over my face and shook my head. Surely if I walked into the room, all eyes and cameras would be on me. I sprayed someone with pepper spray and poured water over someone's head, for pete's sake! It was too late, though, because Permy had already started hauling me in, and there was no way I could wiggle my wrist out of her death grip.

I was glad when she led me to the backstage door instead of the main one. Slowly, we walked over and peered over the wall to see what was happening. The show seemed to be almost over, since we saw people getting up to go. Anna and Nonoko were busy comforting Luna, and Saito was rubbing his eyes while muttering incoherent curses. Koko, Natsume, and the others were all standing in one area and chatting. My eyes stayed on Natsume for a while, staring at his eyes. I always thought that beauty was in the eyes. It was so intriguing to me. My face turned tomato-red when he suddenly looked up at me, so I had to turn around, embarrassed. Then, I realized that the judges never told the men to take our masks off. I sighed in relief, and started to wonder why.

"Permy, why do we still have our masks on?" I asked her curiously.

"I don't know, they probably forgot to tell us," Permy answered, a little distracted by what was happening.

"Well, it's starting to itch," I whined, not caring that it was pointless.

"Then take it off, the show's over, you don't have to wear it anymore, smarty," Permy answered matter-of-factly.

"Well then," I huffed, a little playfully, but she did not hear my words, for she was already walking over to Koko to get some juicy gossip. Reluctantly, I walked over to Luna to see if she was okay, my mask still on my face. The reason is because I did not want anyone to see my face because if the cameras were still going and we were still on television, I did not want anyone from school to possibly recognize me. Being Mikan Sakura instead of Mikan Koizumi is something that I have always wanted to be kept a secret because it was the only thing left of my real self.

I walked hesitantly to Luna, noticing that the three girls had taken their masks off. Careful not to upset the girl before me even more, I put my hand on her shoulder and asked as sincerely as I could, "Are you okay, Luna? Do you want to go home now?"

She shrugged my hand off her shoulder and cried harder, not caring that her makeup was smudging and the mascara running down her salty cheeks. She scowled at me, and pointed a shaky index finger directly at my face. "This is your fault! Wait 'till I tell Daddy what you did!" she screamed shrilly.

I was shocked and dumbfounded. "You're putting the blame on me?! Luna, you should be thanking me! If I didn't pour water on your hair, you'd be practically bald and your head would be badly burned!" I retorted fiercely, not caring if anyone overheard.

Her face scrunched up in disgust, and she simply stated, "You can walk home tonight. You rudeness is not wanted in my car." She turned her head away condescendingly, and rolled her eyes.

I was about to yell out a smart comeback, when someone put a hand on my shoulder, and beat me to it. "That's perfectly fine because she'll be staying at my house tonight. Right, Mikan?"

Inside, I was bursting with happiness. I think I just might have found someone I could call a friend. "Yes, o-of course," I stammered cheerfully. With a smirk, Permy turned me away from the scowling girl.

Once I decided it was far away enough, I whispered to Permy, "I don't have any clothes, though."

"Relax, smart one. You can borrow some of mine."

"Thanks," I breathed, smiling.

We walked out of the building briskly, and headed to the left of the building. Once we turned the corner, she took out her car keys and unlocked her sleek, black BMW convertible.

"Like it? I got it for my sixteenth birthday! At first, I didn't really like her, but I guess I've grown a little sentimental."

"It's nice," I replied curtly. I did not know much about cars. Permy rolled her eyes and snorted.

The ride to her house was silent as I stared out the window, the air conditioning soothing to my tired eyes. I leaned on the window watching my breath fog up, and I was like until the car jolted to a smooth stop up the driveway.

"Are you okay? You seem a tad distant," Permy observed.

She never misses anything, does she? "I'm fine, just somewhat tired," I replied absent-mindedly. To tell you the truth, I had no idea what I was feeling at the moment. I guess I let myself drift too far into the past, when my life had seemed perfect.

"Oh, well, you can sleep as soon as you're done taking a shower. It's probably almost 11 P.M. by now."

Time flies by in a zip, but sometimes, it seems never-ending.

We walked up the porch steps and unlocked the door. He house was a simple two-story house, clean and roomy, in one of the newer neighborhoods.

"So, did you just move here?" I asked, looking around the spacious living room, adorned with two black leather sofas and a huge plasma TV in the front. There was a stair case leading upstairs on the right side of the far wall, and to the right side near the front door, was the kitchen. I hung my white jacket on the hanger, and walked out the hallway to follow Permy, who was by now lying down on her back on the couch.

"Yeah, we moved here a few weeks ago. My parents both work for the same company, and we move a lot. I wouldn't be surprised if we moved out of here in a month."

My face fell disappointingly, but cautious of Permy not to see, I tried to look neutral. Too late.

"We can keep in touch through e-mails or on the phone, though."

I smiled awkwardly. To ease the silence, I asked her where the bathroom was.

You can use the one upstairs right now. I'll go get you some clothes. Without waiting for her, I went to the upstairs bathroom, and slipped into the shower. I let the water run down my face, feeling myself relax as the heat soothed my tired eyes. After feeling like I was using up too much water, I stepped out and wrapped myself in the guest towel.

"Sumire! Can you bring me some spare clothes?" I yelled. I heard footsteps coming my way and knocking on the door. Opening it a little, and letting her hand slip in, I grabbed the clothes and muttered a "thank you."

"I'm going to take a shower now," she told me, and shut the door.

Once I had my privacy back, I slipped off the towel and let it fall to the floor. Then I examined the nightgown and slipped that on. It was a simple night dress, the color of lime green, made of silk. It reached just above my knees and the straps fit snug on my shoulders. After a quick brush of my damp hair, I headed out to the living room, and lay on the cool leather of the couch facedown, letting myself drift off once again.

I must have fallen asleep because the next thing I knew, it was morning and the sun was seeping through the blinds on the windows. I rubbed my eyes groggily, and headed for the bathroom upstairs. After washing my face, and brushing my teeth with the spare toothbrush, I went to find Permy. It was not that hard because her door was open and I could hear soft classical music playing. I peeked my head in and found her lying on her bed, her covers nearly on the floor. She was wearing a white tank top, and white short shorts.

I knocked on her wall, and walked in hesitantly. "Permy? Are you awake yet?" That was obviously a stupid question, since she was still sleeping, so I shook her shoulder and pinched her cheek.

She yawned loudly and lifted herself up. After getting the sleep out of her eyes, she opened them and stared at me sleepily. "Yes?" she replied crankily.

"I was wondering if you could take me home."

Realization dawned on her as last night's memories flooded back to her.

"Oh, I almost forgot. You want to go home now?"

I didn't really want to go home, but it wasn't like I could stay here forever. Though I guess it wouldn't hurt to stay for awhile longer. "We could hang out," I suggested.

She shrugged. "Sure, just let me change at we'll get some breakfast."

She let me borrow some of her clothes, and I went to the bathroom to change. It was a simple white and yellow tank dress with a lace hem, and a black waist band that tied at the back, reaching just above my knees.

Permy was clad in a black tube dress with a floral hemline, also reaching just above her knees.

As we headed out the door to her car, I started to ask a stream of questions. "So, where are your mom and dad?"

"They probably went straight to bed once they came home late last night," she replied emotionlessly.

"What school are you going to?"

"I'm going to start tomorrow on Monday, some school called Narroyaba High."

I broke into a smile and replied chirpily, "I go there!"

She laughed, and replied, "Can't wait to meet your friends."

My smile faltered, and showed a look of concern. I didn't want her to see how I truly was at school: the sick, geeky loner of a person.

"What's wrong?" she asked, as she sped out the driveway to town.

"Well, you see…" I didn't know how to tell her. What if she thought I was weird, and stopped hanging out with me? My mind raced with all the possible outcomes of if I did and didn't tell her.

She broke the nervousness for me. "It's okay if you don't have any friends. I wouldn't be surprised considering the things you told me about Luna. No biggie."

"Wow," was all I could come up with top say. I would have hugged her then and now, if I wasn't such a safety freak.

"There's also one more thing I need to tell you." When she stayed silent, I took that as a sign to continue. "Last night, I told you that I go by Mikan Koizumi instead of Mikan Sakura. You can sort of say that I have a split personality, since I don't act the same when I am Koizumi.

She scrunched her eyebrows. "What do you mean?"

"I don't usually dress like this. I…wear baggy clothes and sweats, and I usually cover my face with my hair."

Permy snorted. "Why would you do that?"

"It makes me feel protected. Like this other side of me, Mikan _Sakura_, is safe and free. I don't know. It's hard to explain."

"Well, I'm going to change you."

I stared at her, blinking rapidly. "No! You can't! I mean, I don't want to change. My life is fine as it is."

"Mikan, think about it. At home and at school, Luna is always mistreating you. At school, it's even worse because she probably has a posse of followers. Why do you choose to suffer and hide? Are you afraid to show people how truly beautiful you are?"

I did not answer. For six years, I have been hiding myself, trying hard never to be the center of attention. I never understood why I wanted to. There were some things in life that were inexplicable.

"What do you want me to do? Turn into a Luna?"

"No. I'm fine, aren't I? All I'm asking you to do is be yourself. The one you were back then."

"But I didn't even have that many friends back then." That memory brought back images of Yuu. My face contorted into a look of anger and disgust. Every time I happened to see him at school, I tried hard not to punch him in the face and throw a carton of eggs at him. I hoped he saw at least one of my death glares. I've met eyes with him before, and I know he's seen me glaring, because he looked like he was near tears! My glares must be super powerful!

Permy's voice snapped me back into reality. "Mikan, you have me don't you? I'll help. I may not have a lot of close friends because of the constant moving, but I can make a lasting impression." I sighed. Then she added, "Plus, I heard the boys from the show are going there, too!"

"Huh?"

"Uhm, Kistsu, Natsume, Ruka, and Koko," she giggled. "Do you seriously think they'd be friends with Luna? They're definitely on our side."

"Oh," was all I could think of to say.

"Doesn't this give you more reasons to dress to impress?"

"How?"

"Well, I doubt you want them to see you wearing baggy men clothes," she huffed.

"I never said I wore men clothes!" I countered.

"You might as well be," she snickered.

Finally, we arrived at the coffee shop after finding a parking space. The little bell jingled as we pushed open the glass door.

"Let's go sit there," Permy pointed to the back of the shop where the orders were given.

"What do you want?" she asked me.

"I'll just have a caramel macchiato," I answered.

"I'll have a vanilla bean frappuccino, and two chocolate chip cookies."

Permy handed the cashier her cash, and after receiving the change, we sat down in one of the tables.

"I love Starbucks coffee. I don't think I can go a day without it," Permy confessed dreamily.

"Personally, I'd survive without coffee, but having it once in a while when you feel stressed or tired is good."

We chatted about random subjects until Permy went to get our orders. After taking a sip of her frappuccino, she handed one of her cookies to me, and I took a small bite before asking, "How did you know they went to our high school?" I asked, nibbling on the cookie.

"Yesterday, when we went back in, I talked to them," she replied, taking another gulp of her coffee. I sipped mine slowly, letting the warmth of the liquid melt my mouth.

"We should go to your house."

"Why? All you'll see is Luna."

"Well, I want to take a look at your clothes. Tomorrow, we go to school, so we must prepare you for your big announcement."

"I'm not good in front of people."

"Yes, yes," she waved her hand back and forth, and replied, "You don't have to talk. I know you're not a fan of the limelight."

"People will be staring at me, though. And what if they find out I'm Mikan Sakura? The one who was on TV? I wanted to keep that a secret," I whined.

"Why? There's no point anymore."

"I want Mikan Sakura to be the happy one with good friends and yadayadayada. Mikan Koizumi's the unhappy one."

"You're weird. Trust me. There's no point anymore." Permy shook her head disappointingly. "Come on, Mikan. Everyone should see how beautiful you are. I know you're scared about what could happen, but life is about taking risks."

I thought about it. "All I need is one good friend."

"Mikan, I told you I move around a lot. There's no way I could be with you to stand up for you forever. It's time to get rid of the training wheels, and show them how strong you really are. Remember how you took action yesterday? Everyone else was either laughing or in total surprise. You're the one who put the fact that you dislike Luna a lot aside, and did what was moral."

I didn't want to agree with Permy, but she was right. I couldn't live in a shell forever. There is absolutely no point to hide anymore. I felt determined and powerful—I felt alive.

"You're right, Permy. I need to get my act straight and stand up. I guess we'll need to go shopping."

"You mean you have nothing? What about that outfit you wore yesterday?"

"That's the only one that's nice. I can't wear that every day, you know."

"Okay. Shopping is my forte."

"I'll pay you back tomorrow. I don't have a lot of money on me right now."

"No big, you don't have to pay back. I'm loaded," Permy gloated.

"But, it's not right—"

"Don't worry about it. This is why friends borrow clothes."

After finishing our drinks and cookie, we left Starbucks, ready to go shopping at the mall.

**END.**

This is to the **reviewer **who thought the story was over. For some reason, i can't write out your name ...**-** it's not over yet! Ahahahah. The show's just the beginning for them! **Thanks** for reviewing. (:

Questions, comments, concerns ? **Review!** (: Let me read you thoughts. All youu have to do is press that button on the bottom left ! (:


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6;

_If you won't be better tomorrow than you were today, then what do you need tomorrow for?_

_-R.N.B._

All Mikan's P.O.V.

"Dang," Permy muttered as yet another car pulled into the untaken parking space. She made a U-Turn and sped around the large lot to find another place to park before anyone else decided to snag it.

"Right there!" I shouted, pointing at an empty spot. Her face lit up and looked at where I was pointing, but then she sighed.

"That's for handicapped people."

"So? If anyone asks, we'll just pretend you have a broken leg."

She was about to reply when suddenly, she stepped on the gas pedal and swerved. I shut my eyes, waiting any moment for the sound of a crash and the shatter of glass. Instead, I heard giggles.

Hesitantly, I opened my eyes and was greeted with stillness. The car was no longer moving. Being the turtle I am, it took me a while until I figured out she had found a parking spot.

"Let's go," she said. Locking the car, she took my arm and dragged me toward the entrance of the huge mall.

"I'll take you to some of my favorite shops."

Inside the mall, it was cool and smelled of perfumes and baked goods. We passed by a pretzel shop, sports store, and a place that sold watches before going up the elevator.

The mall was three stories high and extremely wide. I prayed that Permy's stores were close together because I was feeling fat just then.

The first one she brought me to was full of bright colors and friendly music. "I figured you'd like bright colors since you're_ so_ cheery all the time," she explained sarcastically. I rolled my eyes playfully.

My hands ran through the clothes on the hangers, nothing exactly jumping out at me.

"How about this one?" she asked, holding a lime green skirt to her legs. I shook my head, and she shrugged and replied, "Okay, then. I'm buying it."

We went through a number of clothes until I finally decided on two of them. One of them was an orange tank top with thin straps, the other a short white skirt with layers.

The next store we went to was a shoe store. Permy bought a pair of fur boots since it was getting cold, and I just settled with a pair of silver flats.

I bought some skinny jeans and a black jacket with faux fur on the hood at the next store. We went on with this for another two and a half hours, only stopping to eat. Surprisingly, I enjoyed shopping. It was nice to try on outfits and appreciate what you saw in the mirror. It only got somewhat tiring when Permy told me to carry her bags for her. It was hard to count how many things she bought, close to a thousand!

After she was satisfied, Permy decided to head back home. In the middle of the ride, she asked if I wanted to stay at her house again.

"Well, we have school tomorrow, though."

"You can get your backpack or whatever tomorrow morning, right?"

"I like to be prepared, so no."

"Okay. If that's what you want. I'll see you tomorrow, then. Good luck getting past Luna with all those bags, and good luck walking to school tomorrow. All by yourself."

I narrowed my eyes at Permy's smirk. She knew I wouldn't be able to stand being alone with those…other people! After intense seconds of an unspoken blinking contest or Who-Would-Break-First, I gave in, and whined, "Fine."

Before she could bask in her victory, I told her she had to take me home to get my backpack and other school supplies. She shrugged her shoulders and agreed, since she had already won me over. Once we were parked in front of my house, I suddenly felt like changing my mind and going straight to Permy's house, but with my pride getting in the way, I sucked it up, and opened the car door. Before I closed the door, Permy told me, "You can stay as long as you like. You're always welcome at my house. My parents don't give a crow's poo about people over, and I don't mind. I like company."

I stared at her with a funny expression on my face. My eyes were wide and my mouth formed a small "o." Then, it broke into a crooked smile, and I replied, "I'll go get my toothbrush and what not, then."

"I'll come with," she answered casually.

It did not bother me that she would be seeing my house and my family. I knew that no matter what, she would never turn her back on me.

I unlocked the front door to find my step-dad lying on the couch watching a football game. He turned to look at us for a second when the front door slammed, but continued staring at the television afterwards. His name, Persona, was tattooed onto his right arm, and he was wearing a black shirt. I could describe him in three words: careless, mean, and unloving.

I glared at the back of his head for awhile before walking upstairs to my room. Permy followed from behind closely. Since Luna's room was before mine, I had to pass by and see her making out with one of the guys from our school. I guess she broke up with her previous boyfriend. She was currently on top of him, his shirt on the floor. I felt like throwing up.

Before I could say something, Permy did it for me. "Ew. What a whore," she commented, and closed the door. We walked to my room laughing. Not wanting Luna to burst in or bother us, I locked the door and turned on some music.

"Nice room. I didn't know you liked pink."

I smiled and nodded. My walls were colored a light pink and my bed covers and curtains were a darker shade.

"My mother loved the color pink," I stated, unaware that I had just voiced my thoughts. Seeing that I was in internal pain at the thought of her, Permy quickly changed the subject to my chagrin.

"So, did you paint this? It's beautiful."

I nodded embarrassingly. Aside from liking to sing, I also loved to paint and draw. It was my only real passion, and sometimes, it made me think of my real family.

She looked at the current painting I was working on. It was a sakura tree in spring, the flowers in full bloom, petals dancing in the air. In the far off corner was a building.

"I drew it from a memory I had," I explained to her. "I'm not sure if it's real or not, but I've dreamt of it," I explained. "Pretty cheesy."

She shook her head. "No. I'd buy this," and laughed.

She looked through all the other paintings until she was done. Her eyes wandered on the last one.

"Is this…?" she was unsure about finishing the sentence.

I nodded, suddenly feeling as if I wanted to cry. I held the tears threatening to fall, and turned away to gather my books and backpack. I grabbed my iPod, then headed to the restroom to get my other things. The first serious painting I had drawn was one of my mother. In the portrait, her hair was down and she was smiling. She had a light blush in which she explained was because of my real father. I had sketched this from a photo taken years before I was born. Sighing, I gathered everything into my bag and headed out. I sucked in a huge breath and put on a big smile. There was no reason to feel depressed anymore. I had Permy.

"Done?" she asked, grabbing my backpack for me.

I nodded and ushered her out. "I need to lock the door," I explained.

The door was still closed when we passed Luna's room. Surprise, surprise. I ran down the stairs and headed toward the door, when suddenly, Persona blocked the entrance and questioned, "Where do you think you're going?"

"To my friend's."

"I don't think so."

"Why not? I didn't do anything wrong. Besides, it's one less mouth to feed."

"I'm sorry, _dear_, but you're grounded. After what you did to Luna on that show, you do not deserve to go out."

"What are you talking about? I saved her. Why are you grounding me for that?"

"Don't make up your filthy lies. You poured water on her for no reason."

I stared at him angrily. "Don't make this look like it's my fault. I'm leaving, and that's final."

I pushed him out the way and was about to head out when he suddenly said, "Fine. But you're never coming back in."

I looked at Permy, unsure if I should say what I was thinking. Fortunately, I didn't have to say a thing.

"That's okay. She can live with me."

Persona glared at Permy, and she just stared back impassively. I smirked at him, and added, "Well, I'd better go get my stuff, since you don't want me living here.

Once again, he stopped me. "I'm sorry, but you no longer live here. I'm afraid you have leave. Now."

Before I could say anything, Permy dragged me out the door, and to her car.

"What are you doing? All my stuff is in my room!" I complained. I was mostly worried about my portraits.

"Relax. I have a brilliant plan," she soothed.

When she just stood there, I groaned and snapped, "Aren't you going to tell me?"

She rolled her eyes and sighed. "Yes, Ms. Impatient. All we have to do to get your stuff back is climb the window. Your door is locked, so they can't get into your room unless they decide to break it down, which I doubt because they are lazy pigs. Your window is in the backyard, so no one will see us climbing."

I stayed silent for awhile then replied, "Anyone would have come up with that."

"Then, why didn't you?" she retorted.

"It's not going to work." I replied pessimistically.

"Have more faith!"

"Even if it were to work, I wouldn't be able to do it! I'm afraid of heights and anything scary!" I yelled. "Unless of course, you're going to do it for me."

She snorted. "With these manicured nails? I don't think so. I was talking about asking one of the boys to do it."

I slapped my forehead with the palm of my hand. "Do you seriously think I want guys going through my things?"

"Well, get used to it. You will sooner or later."

I was tired and confused, so I climbed into the car and closed the door. Seconds later, Permy sat down on the driver seat, and sped home. When we arrived at her house, I threw myself onto the couch, and groaned loudly.

"Calm down, Ms. Dramatic. Let's not worry about this yet. Let's decide what you're going to wear to school tomorrow."

Reluctantly, I got up and ransacked the numerous bags on the floor. I decided on a pair of skinny jeans and a black, white, and red striped sweater. Permy approved of my choice of outfit, and left me to take a shower. With nothing to do, I decided to put all my new clothes into the closet of the guest room—my room, for now, of course. There was no way I could stay with her forever, even she said that. I placed my backpack and books onto the floor next to the study table. Finally satisfied with my work, I left to take a shower.

It was a good thing I brought three nightgowns from home. After washing my hair lifelessly, I slipped into my white, short-sleeved nightgown, reaching loosely below my knees. When I found the blow dryer in one of the bottom cabinets, I blow dried my wet hair and my body just for the fun of it. The warmth of the blow dryer felt good against my skin.

"Mikan?" I heard Permy call from her room.

"Yeah?" I replied breathlessly.

"Are you done taking a shower? Come here for a second," she yelled.

After putting my dirty clothes into the respected hamper, I exited the bathroom and entered Permy's room.

"What is it?" I asked curiously.

"I want you to help decide on what to wear. I can't choose."

Of course she was going to ask that. I laughed lightly. "Sure, what do you have?"

"Well, I was thinking of either wearing this one," she pointed to a lime green halter top and white skirt, "or this," she said as she pointed to a striped pink and black short-sleeved dress (I don't know what to call it…it's like this dress because it reaches right at the thigh, but it's like a shirt too, just longer). "Of course, I'll be wearing a black tank top under the pink and black one. I don't want to look like a slut, since it's low-cut," she explained.

"I think you should wear the pink and black one, but then again, you like the color lime green a lot, so I'm not sure. If you want favorite color, go with the first one. If you want something more interesting, go with the second one."

She made a face. "If only they had the second one in green."

I smiled. "I take it you're wearing the green outfit first?"

"Of course. Everyone needs to know that greens are my color."

"Are you going to wear green makeup, then?"

"That's a big no-no. I'm not that into it."

We rambled on about various topics, from clothes to schools to family, and then to the dreaded subject—boys.

"So, who was your first crush?" Permy asked me, while munching on some carrots. She was watching her figure.

I stayed silent, not wanting to talk about boys. Maybe if I just changed the subject by going to the restroom, but before my plan could commence, she shook me on the shoulder and stated, "You're not going anywhere until you answer."

I sighed and slumped my shoulders. "I didn't like anybody. I promise."

She raised an eyebrow. "Come on, Mikan. Whatever Luna did to you, it couldn't have happened the moment you were born."

"It might as well be," I muttered.

"Fine, if you're not going to talk, I will." When I stayed silent, she continued. "My first crush was in first grade. His name was Senji Yuto. He was a real sweetheart, but he moved away."

"Kiddy love," I stated, and smiled. "That's cute."

She sniffed. "My love life is serious. Not cute."

I glanced at the clock. "Wow, it's late, we should go to sleep, you know, since tomorrow is school."

"Sure. Sweet dreams, hon."

I was already out the door, and waved lifelessly. Once I was securely under the covers of the bed, I closed my eyes and snuggled up, my legs tucked. Tomorrow was going to be a long day.

**End.**

**Review!** I like reading positive comments. Flame if you must. I'm not going to be publishing every week anymore becuase I don't think many people like it. =\


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7;

_The two kinds of people on earth that I mean Are the people who lift and the people who lean._

_-E.W.W._

"_Mikan,_" whispered a voice inside my head. I sighed contentedly, enjoying the soft, ringing sound. My name grew louder and louder, and I started to feel as if the ground beneath me was shaking.

"MIKAN!" screamed the voice. As if on cue, I woke up, but my actions were too fast for my mind to comprehend and I ended up falling to the floor with a loud and painful thud.

"Ow," I complained. "Permy, what was that for?"

"Well, you wouldn't wak up when I called your name and shook you, so I had to yell."

"You could have given me a few more seconds, you know."

"Yeah, but then I'd have to wait."

I rubbed my eyes and yawned loudly, not bothering to cover my mouth. "What time is it?" I asked.

"It's 6:00," she answered.

I stared at her. "School starts at 8:30, so why do we have to wake up two and a half hours earlier?"

"Well, we have to get dressed, go to the bathroom, eat, and then drive to school."

"And that takes more than two hours?" I questioned.

"Well, of course not. But I like to get there early."

I sat on the bed for a moment, my eyes closed. I still wanted to sleep. After awhile, Permy's tapping of her foot got to me, and I dragged my feet to the bathroom.

"Here are your clothes," she told me, and handed me the outfit I chose yesterday. I took it slowly, and closed the door of the bathroom. With a lot of time, I decided I'd take a quick shower. My hair in a messy bun, I stepped in and turned on the faucet. For a long time, I just stayed still and let the hot water tingle my skin. It woke up my sleepy eyes, and after washing my body with soap, I stepped out and wrapped my body in a towel.

"Permy!" I called. "What time is it?"

"6:30! You were in there for twenty five minutes."

I wondered how the heck Permy could wake up so early and still have so much energy. I pouted, realizing that I probably had to get used to it, considering that fact that we have to go to school together.

I slipped on my sweater, after putting on a white tank top, and put on my jeans. Afterwards, I brushed my teeth, washed my face, put on deodorant, and all that great jazz. Before heading out a door, I ran a few brushes through my smooth, brown hair, satisfied with my look. I smiled at my reflection and picked up my night gown, then exited the restroom. I threw my gown on the bed, and walked over to my desk. After slipping my backpack onto my shoulder, and picking up my AP calculus and AP English textbook, I walked over to Permy's room. She was currently applying makeup. It was currently 6:40 A.M.

"I knew it. We never had to get up that early! It's only 6:40 and we're about to leave," I pouted, disappointed that I was not able to sleep later.

"We still have to eat breakfast, you know. Besides, just because we're ready to go," she paused to put on some lip gloss, "doesn't mean that we will."

"Oh," I stated dumbly.

"You just never think about it, do you?" she teased.

I waved it off, and asked, "Are we going to eat here?"

She snickered. "We never buy food. There's just no time for my parents to, and I do not like to go _grocery_ shopping. All we probably have is water and coffee."

I figured that meant we would be going out for breakfast, so I just sat on her bed and waited for her. Seconds and minutes ticked by and my face was more contorted by the second.

"OH GOSH!" I shrieked inappropriately, causing Permy to drop her pencils.

"What? What happnened?" she questioned nervously.

I stayed silent and still for a few seconds, then fell down on her bed. "I can't do this," I muttered, my hands over my eyes.

She sighed, understanding. "Come on, Mikan, it's not that bad. If you'd like, we could change your as Mikan Sakura later instead of Koizumi."

"Luna will probably tell everyone anyway, so there's no point."

"You have to break out of that shell of yours! We've gone over this!"

"I know, but it's too much! I can't handle the attention!" I bawled.

"What makes you think we'll get a lot of attention?"

"Well…it happens in the movies all the time," I replied timidly.

Permy smiled. "Those are just movies. I'm not going to make a big scene"

"Thanks, Permy," I smiled. Maybe I can get used to it, little by little.

Never trust Permy. Why, you ask? Maybe because after breakfast (which she did not even have), when we arrived at school, and Luna walked over to us for her usual mocking session, Permy had to use _me _as a comeback.

"I'm sorry to say this, but Mikan is prettier than you tenfold!"

She said this loud enough for everyone standing in front of the school building to here. It took 2 milliseconds for my face to turn beet red, and an even shorter time for everyone to stop what they were doing to stare at me. Whispers were passed around, most of them revolving around ideas such as, "Does she even have makeup on? She does look prettier! Is _that_ Mikan _Koizumi_? Isn't that Mikan Sakura?"

Before Luna could register her mind to think, Permy dragged me away from the curious eyes of the bystanders, and inside the building. Everything was quieter in there. Quiet enough for me to think…and whisper-yell.

"What were you thinking?! I thought I told you I didn't want any attention! That you wouldn't make a big scene! You crazy woman!"

"Hey, now. It's not that big of a deal to be calling names."

I groaned in frustration, and started walking away, furious more than embarrassed. When I heard her following me, my pace quickened into a sprint as I headed off to my homeroom class. Blinded by anger was I that I did not see that someone was in front of me, and before I could stop, a collision occurred, and my books and I scattered to the floor—I landed on my bottom.

"Sorry!" I cried, not daring to look directly at the person I bumped in to, and picked up my books. I had to look up sooner or later, and what I stared at stunned me for a while—a pair of crimson eyes. Did I mention he was glaring at me with a scowl on his face?

"Sorry," I repeated, not knowing what else to say.

"Watch where you're going next time, will you?"

The anger I held before for Permy renewed, and I shot back, "You could have moved out of the way, you know!"

Before he could reply, I shoved him and walked the rest of the way to homeroom. Right then and there, while standing in front of the door to my class like any other weekday, I could not bring myself to open the door like every other day. I needed Permy by my side so much then.

"Gosh, my life is messed up," I seethed. I was about to kick the nearest locker when a voice interrupted me.

"Um, is this homeroom with Mr. Misaki?"

"I turned around, only to be greeted by a familiar face, who in turn smiled at me.

"Yes," I answered, yet again frozen.

"Aren't you Mikan?" he asked politely.

"Yes. You must be Ruka," I stated, and smiled. He was the gentleman of the show, after all.

"It's nice to see a familiar face on the first day of school," he replied, and opened the door, waving me to go in first.

I thanked him and headed in, forgetting my fears of change. Everyone stared at me for a while, but continued on to their tasks. I guess Permy was right about people not giving me all the attention. I sat in my usual seat, and Ruka sat next to me. I was glad he took the seat, and did not stop him since no one ever sat next to me. They either found me weird, disgusting, or gay because of my clothes and reserve. Today, however, I was different, and glad of it. I found myself thinking how embarrassed I would be if Ruka saw me in my old clothes, blushing.

"So tell me, how does the school work around here?"

I put my index finger on my chin and replied, "Well, basically, the student body at this school runs on a 'you stay out of my way, I stay out of yours' kind of thing. Each person is in their own little clique, sort of."

"I see. Which one are you in? The populars?" He probably meant that as a compliment, but I did not like to lie. Then again, I did not want to tell him I was a loner. Thankfully, I was saved when Mr. Misaki strolled in the class and ordered everyone to settle down. He put his papers down and clapped his hands for attention.

"Everyone, we have a new student today. Please welcome Ruka Nogi with respect and friendliness."

Ruka stood up and smiled, making all the girls swoon, and the boys roll their eyes.

Class continued on afterwards, with a few girls passing notes to each other, probably about Ruka. So far, no one had made a commotion about me, and I sighed in relief. I had been hiding my face the whole time with my sleeve over my mouth, even as I walked in. I guess I look plain. When Mr. Misaki dismissed us, I waved good bye to Ruka and headed to my next class: AP English.

I sat at my usual desk, disappointed that Ruka was not here. No one paid attention to me yet again, and I was getting a little impatient. I kind of felt as if no one cared, and I looked the same. Not even a speck of attention. Maybe it was because I was covering my face. Hesitantly, I put my hand down, and decided to stare at the table. A wave of cool air hit my face, and I stared outside the window, closing my eyes. The door opened and closed, and I turned my head to see if my teacher was here yet. Instead, I was greeted my Mr. Yukihara, our principal, which was rare considering the fact that we rarely saw him come out of his office. People even wondered if he ever left the school.

"It is of my greatest disappointment to announce that your regular teacher will no longer be teaching this class anymore. Until we find a new one, this class will now be study hall. Please take out a book to read, study for any tests or quizzes, or do your homework. I will come back when class is over." With that said, he left.

The class erupted into cheers a while later, and started chatting animatedly. I took my time to scan the room, and noticed a few people missing. Typical ditchers. I wondered if Permy was doing okay. I was glad I had AP calculus, gym, and lunch with her. My schedule is as follows: Homeroom, AP English, AP Calculus, World history, gym, lunch, and finally, my favorite subject of all, art.

Someone tapped me on the shoulder, and I turned around to see yet another familiar face: Koko.

"Hey! It's Mikan, right? I didn't know you went here, too. I'm new."

"Yes, I've figured as much." It did not sound rude, but the moment I said it, I wish I took it back because it came out harsh.

"Hey, easy there, I was just trying to make a conversation." He slid back into his seat and looked as if he was about to cry. I suddenly felt bad for my bad attitude.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be rude. Please don't cry."

When I said that, he burst into laughter. "I wasn't going to cry. Man, it works every time. Why are people so gullible?" He smiled.

I giggled. "If you don't make it in aviation, you should be a comedian."

"I was never going to be a pilot. That was Mochu 's goal. He's my brother."

"Oh, I see. Then, why did you say it was your dream?"

"Because I don't have one right now."

"I see. Good thinking, I guess."

He rested his legs on the table and leaned back in his chair, while I turned to face him.

"So, what do you think of this school?" he asked me.

"Um, the academics are pretty good, and the people are tolerable."

"I see. Got your eye on anyone?" He winked at me.

I chewed my lower lip nervously. "Um…no. You?" I lied.

He narrowed is eyes at me. "Really? You don't like anyone?"

He had a strong grip on my mind that I could no longer handle it. "Okay, okay, you've got me."

"So, who is he?" he grinned.

"Why do I have to tell you? Why don't you tell me first?"

"I asked first."

"I asked second."

"You can't do that!" he objected.

"What do you mean?"

"This is the part where you're supposed to say 'fine, you've got me' and tell me who you like! Otherwise, how are we ever going to stop asking?"

I paused for a moment. "Okay, that didn't make any sense at all. It would be the same, wouldn't it?"

"What? What would be the same?"

"…Yeah I'm lost."

"Let's talk about ponies, then."

"Why…?"

"Well, why not?"

"Really? You seriously want to talk about ponies?"

He smiled. "I don't know. I just say what's on my mind sometimes."

"Okay…"

"…"

"…"

"Stop staring at me. I know I'm beautiful and all, but you don't have to do it so openly. Gee whiz!"

I giggled. "Oh, my apologies, I hope no one noticed!"

The rest of the day went fairly well. It was almost lunch and I was getting hungry. When the teacher dismissed us, I speed-walked out the classroom and headed for lunch. The line was long and I tapped my foot impatiently while standing in line. Although the food was not necessarily fancy and deliciously prepared, it was enough to satisfy me. Just then the person in front of me turned around and her eyes popped wide open.

"Mikan Koizumi?"

"Yes?" I answered hesitantly.

"Wow! You look different! Did you really have surgery just to look like Luna?"

I stared at her in surprise. "Fudge no! Where did you hear that?!"

She blinked confusedly. "Never mind, guess I heard wrong," she muttered, and walked away. Now knowing me, you might have thought I would let that slip since food was involved, but this was important. Since when were rumors ever about me? They stopped a long time ago when people stopped caring about me. I tapped the person in front of me, and before he could fully turn around and give his full attention to me, I asked, "What have you heard about me?" That was probably pretty random and it sounded conceited once I said it, but nevertheless, he recognized me and answered.

"Hey, you're Mikan Koizumi. I never knew how self-conscious you were 'till now."

I sighed, not wanting to scream and make a big commotion. "It's not true! None of it! I don't even wear that much make up! This is _my _face!"

"Sure it is. Try proving that to the other hundreds of kids that have seen you before today."

I gaped at the back of his head in disbelief, for he had already turned around. Forgetting about my food, I stomped off to find permy, and it did not take that long since she was sitting on top of one of the tables and yelling her donkey off with Luna.

"…the slut," I heard Permy hiss.

Before they could continue, I butt in, "Luna, have you been starting those nasty rumors about me?"

She feigned an innocent look and put a hand on her cheek. "Oh, whatever are you talking about sister dearest? Personally, I have been trying to stop those hideous rumors!"

"Cut the bs, I know it was you. And to think, all because you're probably afraid."

She narrowed her eyes. "Have you actually found yourself thinking that _I'm _jealous of_ you_?" She cackled loudly. "As if!"

"Then why start those words?"

"How can you assume that it was me that started them in the first place? Haven't you heard the phrase, 'Don't make an ass out of you and me'?"

"I'm not making an ass if I know it's true."

"Okay, whatever, this is getting irritating. Leave me alone, man, and go back to that little corner of yours, so you can be a man again."

My face heated up. I realized then that there had been people staring. It was the table that Permy was on. Among the people sitting down were Ruka, Koko, and Natsume-guy. I didn't want to reveal any information that could lead to my previous life, and I hoped that they did not hear the rumors about me. The quandary on my mind was whether to continue arguing to Luna, so everyone would figure out the lies, or resume to daily school life and act as if nothing big had happened.

I sat down in the empty seat beside Permy, who was now sitting down. Luna scoffed, and before leaving, I noticed, she blew a kiss to Natsume and strutted off. I rolled my eyes and wondered why I even cared. It's not like I paid that much attention to Natsume anyway. Not like I like him or something. Psh.

"You okay?" Permy queried. "I heard some nasty rumors." She put a hand on my shoulder.

"It doesn't matter, they'll let it go. I just hate it when people say stuff about me that's not true." I avoided as much eye contact from the boys at our table as possible.

"Tell me about it. Fake girls who think they're all that are the worst."

"I heard about the rumors, too. I don't get it. Mikan looks fine to me," Ruka confessed.

Thank god I had my back to him because a blush was slowly creeping up my cheeks. After cooling down a bit, I scooted my chair back so I would face the others. I felt a little out of place. Everyone seemed so relaxed eating and chatting.

I replied to Ruka's comment. No point in hiding it anymore. Time to come clean. After all, in the movies, keeping a secret will always be the cause of your downfall. Not that I'd ever be in a movie.

"Well, you see, before you guys came along, especially Permy, I was somewhat antisocial. I would always be clad in unappealing clothes." I blew a breath of air out, and before I forgot, I added, "Oh, and I hate boys."

Ruka, Koko, and Kitsuneme looked at each other confusedly, then back at me. Natsume remained impassive.

I smiled nervously. Permy took over for me. "Personal reasons. There was this guy who was supposedly her best friend," she explained, putting "best friend" in quotes.

"Does that mean you hate us, Miki?" Kitsuneme asked, puppy dog eyes and fake whimpering used to dramatize his sadness.

I laughed. "I'm going to make an exception to you guys." I was suddenly feeling somewhat sentimental. "I haven't felt so happy in years! You guys are like a gift from the gods," I exaggerated.

Permy slapped my arm. "Oh, you! You're welcome, Mikan. I know I'm special, but them?" Permy scoffed.

"I happen to be a very good friend to Mikan, for the couple hours that I've known her!" Koko argued.

"Mikan and I are soul mates!" Kitsuneme joked.

Everyone was laughing until Ruka asked, "Natsume, you've been awfully quiet, got anything to say?"

We stared at him curiously. He shrugged his shoulders. Koko rolled his eyes. "He's a man a few words, trust us."

I smiled at them, but I could not help but to think, "If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all."

Lunch ended immediately, and it was time for art. On my walk alone to class, I could not help but wonder why they would have lunch at 1:30 p.m.

I took a seat in my regular spot, and could not help but notice the uneasy stares directed at me. I guess I know what they all talked about during lunch. "H-hi?" I spoke nervously.

One brave soul questioned, "Mikan…is that really you?" It was Nobara Ibaragi. She was a shy girl, but her art spoke the words for her. She loved snow, especially. Winter landscapes were her best. Mikan has a good relationship with her because Nobara, unlike others, only looked at artistic talent, although she could not help but ask.

"Yes. And before any of you start thinking things, I'd just like to say that I did not have surgery to look like this. I looked like this from the start, I just did it, and I'm telling you guys this because I love this art class, and the people in it. You guys are nicer to me."

Everyone stayed silent until Nobara replied, "We believe you, Mikan. Right guys?" Everyone nodded and smiled.

"We've known you for a long time! I can tell by your art that you're not that shallow of a person at all!"

"Thank you, Hoshio, and everyone else for believing me!" I felt like tearing up, but I held it inside since the teacher walked in.

"Good morning, Nodacchi sensei," everyone greeted. It was a tradition in our class.

"How are all your projects going? Questions or comments?"

Nobara raised her hand. "Well, I don't really know what to paint. You said to try something different, but I can't do anything but winter."

"Same here! I like the weather," Hoshio interrupted.

"Have you guys tried to incorporate your usual topics into new ones?"

"How so?" asked Hoshio.

"Well, you like to draw about weather. You can try adding people into it and see how the type of weather affects them. And Nobara, you love the snow, so why don't you try to draw something happening during winter? Like a wedding maybe, or a birthday. Anything is possible."

I had been working on a painting of a couple, sitting on a bench at night. Their arms linked and hands clasped together. It was raining. I don't know why I made the image so somber. I just felt like it. Life's not always full of love and happiness.

**One week later-**

Halfway through art class, I was called up to go to the principal's office. I felt jittery imagining all the reasons why I would be called there. Had the principal come across some nasty rumors? Slowly, I pushed open the mahogany doors, and stepped in quietly, only to see a few familiar faces. Permy, Natsume, Ruka, Koko, Kitsuneme, and Yuu were there. I glared visciously at Yuu, who looked away sadly. When Principal Yukihara cleared his throat, I put on an appropriate face and directed my attention to him.

"The reason to why I called specifically you seven here today is because I have a serious announcement to make. Recently, the government has been requesting for exceptionally talented students, who have a variety of useful and pleasant gifts. I'm sure there's no need to explain the talents you have because I am sure you know what it is."

"Can you cut to the chase and tell us why we're here?" Natsume asked irritably.

Yukihara sighed. "I'm sorry to say you guys will no longer be attending this school. Instead, you will go to the famous Alice Academy. It's an honor, really—"

"Principal, you can't just let them take us away if we don't want right? I mean, we have families and goals and a life here!" Permy shouted.

"I'm sorry, children. I've done all my power to stop them, but this is a government issue, and my power is far too useless to do anything.

"How long will they keep us?" Natsume asked, although everything comes out sounding like a statement.

"They say it will be a long time before you guys will come back. They wouldn't tell me when, though."

Everyone was silent.

"What will we even do there?" I asked shakily.

"I'm sure it has something to do with your talents. Rest assured, they will not harm you."

"Yukihara sensei, you said that we were chosen based on our talents, but what about other such as Nonoko or Anna? They are the best with chemistry and cooking." Ruka voiced.

"Perhaps they have no use of them. Besides, it's not like they can't be pulled later on."

_Perhaps they have no use of them_. Hearing that made me think that we were all just little experiments. I clenched my fists tightly. School was getting a little better and suddenly, I need to go to a new one. At least there would be no Luna.

"You have today and the weekend to pack. You will be picked up on Monday morning, 9 a.m. End of discussion. Proceed to class now."

And just like that, we began a new life. I swear that life can pass by oh so quickly sometimes.

**END.**

Mehehehe. Sorry it took forever for me to update because I have a life! (= This is 4,288 words, so I think I sort of rambled on too long. If the chapter does not match up, sorry! I took gaps when writing this and I was doing other things such as music, food, chatting…if it does not make sense, tell me.

Review, oui oui!


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